


THE HUNTED

by danigirl352



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demon Hunters, Demons, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-17 12:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danigirl352/pseuds/danigirl352
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cousins Kyle and Jason Samuels reluctantly help and old friend wen he asks them to watch over the daughter of a hunter that was killed by  demon. They soon find themselves in the middle of an age old prophecy that centers around all three of them. Can they figure out what the prophecy says and how to survive? Or will the demons kill them first?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first story that I wrote a few years ago. I will warn you know that if you are a fan of the TV series Supernatural you will find it very similar as it was based off of the characters Sam and Dean Winchester.

Chapter One 

Jason quickly scanned the room they were in. Seeing it was clear he signaled to his cousin to move onto the next room. They had to be extremely careful not to alert the demon to their presence. The child's life depended on it. It was getting harder with every step they took to be quiet though because the floor boards creaked and groaned with every step they took.  
Jason and Kyle were not only trying to save the child, they were also trying to prevent the death of the man the demon had possessed. In this case it was a man named Landon Young. The owner of Snowflake the local ice cream parlor. This made his abduction of the town's children easier. The kids trusted him because he would often give them free ice cream. And when the opportunity presented itself he would lure them away from their parents and suck their souls out of them to enhance his own life force. The child would then lapse into a coma and die within a week.  
The cousins hoped the demon had not jumped bodies. It would make this hunt even harder than it had already been. They had been tracking him for almost two weeks now and had finally found him hiding in this abandoned house on the outskirts of town.  
The demon had already kidnapped nine year old Adam Kemper. Making this child number eight. The last anyone had seen Adam he was on his way to the local park, which was only two blocks away from his house. When he failed to return home that night his parents had contacted the authorities.  
Kyle and Jason new that if they didn't stop this demon soon he would take Adam's soul and his parents would have to endure the same agony as the other parents had. It was hard enough to exorcise a demon, but this time they had to worry about an innocent child getting caught in the crossfire.  
As they rounded the corner and entered the living room Kyle spotted Adam tied to a chair. He carefully made his way across the room as Jason kept watch with his gun drawn for any signs of trouble. They both knew that the demon was still in the house somewhere. He would never leave the child unattended for fear he would escape.  
"P-p-please don't hurt me," Adam stuttered as tears rolled down his face.  
"Don't worry; we're here to help you," Kyle whispered as he untied the ropes from around Adam. "Do you know where the man is who took you?"  
"I don't know. The last thing I remember I was going to get some ice cream with Mr. Young. The next thing I knew I was tied to this chair."  
"Listen, I know that you're scared but you have to stop crying so we can get you out of here safely. Can you do that for me?” Kyle asked as he gently wiped a tear off of Adam's face.  
Adam slowly nodded, took Kyle's hand and followed him out of the room toward the kitchen. Jason followed close behind with his gun still drawn.  
As they entered the kitchen Kyle heard a noise behind him and turned around just in time to see the demon appear behind Jason and knock him to the floor. Adam's grip on Kyle's hand tightened as the demon turned Mr. Young's eyes black and focused on him.

"Give me the child back!" the demon yelled angrily as he stepped over Jason and kicked his gun out of his reach.  
Kyle immediately positioned himself so that he was in front of Adam. "That's not going to happen!" Kyle assured the demon as he glanced down at Jason. He could see that he was conscious, so his main concern was to get Adam out of the house unharmed. He knew that Jason could take care of himself and would be mad if he didn't make the child is first priority They had agreed a long time ago on how to handle situations like this one. Get the victim to a safe place first and then and only then would they come back and help.  
"I won't let you hurt another child, you've hurt too many already!" Kyle exclaimed as he pulled out his own gun and aimed it at the demon. Kyle could hear Adam whimpering behind him so he pulled him closer to him to reassure him that things would be okay.  
"Either you give me the child back or I'll kill your friend here," the demon said as he knelt down beside Jason.  
Kyle saw that Jason had regained consciousness and was trying to reach for something on the floor. He knew he had to keep the demon focused on him so he wouldn't see what Jason was doing. If he was going to leave his cousin, it wasn't going to be before knew he had something to defend himself with. Deal or no deal.  
"How about we come to some kind of agreement? You can let us walk out of here alive and we'll let you live," Kyle said as he slowly took a step backwards making sure to keep Adam close behind him.  
"I have a better idea. You hand over the kid and I'll let your friend here live," the demon grabbed a handful of Jason's hair and pulled his head up off the floor causing Jason to wince in pain.  
"You know there's no way I'm gonna give you the child. Go ahead and kill my friend, better him then me."  
The demon hesitated for a split second giving Jason the opportunity to grab the iron statue on the floor and hit the demon in the head with it. Jason then quickly rolled out of the demons reach. 

"Exorcizamus te omnis immunde spiritus omni satanica potestas," Jason began to chant.  
"No," the demon yelled as he struggled to stay in Landen's body.  
"Omnis incursio infernalis adversari omnis legis, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica," Jason continued the verses that would send the demon back to hell, pausing only momentarily as Landen's body fell to the floor and he began to twitch.  
"In nomini et vertute Domini nostri Jesu Christi, eradicare et effugare a Del Ecclesis ab animabus ad imaginem Del conditis ac pretioso divini Agni sanguini redemptis.  
Landen started to scream out in pain as Jason proceeded,"Ab insidiis diaboli, libers nos Domine ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi faciac libertate servire te rogamus audi nos ut inimcus sanctae ecclesiae humilidre digneris te rogamus audi nos." Jason finally finished the verses just as Landen's head lifted up of the floor and the demon emerged from Landen's mouth in the form of a cloud of black smoke and was pulled back into hell where he belonged.  
Jason knelt down beside Landen's body and felt for a pulse. "He's alive," Jason said relieved.  
"Thank you," Landen whispered as he opened his eyes.  
"You're welcome," Jason replied as he guided him to the couch. "Just rest, help will be here soon."  
"It's safe now," Kyle told Adam as he knelt down to his level. "He can't hurt you anymore."  
"What was that black smoke?" Adam asked Kyle.  
Kyle knew that he had to be careful with what he told Adam. He didn't want to scare him. Adam was to young to understand what had just happened. "That was something that was making Mr. Young very sick. You have to understand what he did wasn't his fault."  
"Was it the black stuff that made him kidnap me and try to hurt your friend?"  
"Yes, it was. So I need you to do me a favor. When the police get here I need you to tell them that Mr. Young saved you, and got hurt in the process. Can you do that for me?"  
"I'll do anything you ask. If it wasn't for you I'd be dead."  
"Great. Now I'm going to give you his cell phone. I need you to call 911 and tell them where you are. We're going to wait just down the road until they arrive."  
"Okay, just promise you’ll stay there until they get here."  
"I promise. One more thing, and this one is the most important. We were never here!"

Kyle handed Adam the phone and waited until he made the call before he left with Jason. They made sure to wait just out of sight as he had promised. As soon as the police arrived and they knew Adam was safe they headed back to their motel. They had done the job they had come here to do. Tomorrow they would find someone else who needed the special kind of help that they offered and they would head out of town.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki finds Kyle and Jason Samuel in a diner, but isn't sure how to approach them.

Chapter 2 

Nikki couldn't believe it, Finally she thought as she sat at the counter slowly sipping a coke. She was in one of those mom and pop diners where everything smelled of greasy fried food. Old pictures from the 60's era decorated the walls and the red booths were old and faded, most having red duck tape on them looked like they hadn't been updated since then either. Nikki had unfortunately gotten used to eating in places like this. In her line of work it was best to keep a low profile and that was easy to do in small diners like this one. Sometimes that even worked to her advantage. Who else knew more about a towns history then the locals who often ate in places like this.  
She had just stopped in for a quick bite when she spotted them sitting at a table by the window. She had thought for sure that they were at least two towns ahead of her. She had been tracking them for over a month now, and they weren't the easiest people to find. They knew how not to leave a trail that could lead people to them.   
Nikki knew who they were by a photo she had been shown of them by a close friend of her fathers, John Jacobs. Before then Nikki had only heard of the Samuel cousins through the grapevine. From what she had been told and what she could see now they were the total opposite of each other. Jason was the smart one. He was about 5'9 with short curly brown hair and blue eyes that were a window to his troubled past. He looked like the kind of guy who would have no problem getting a girl. His cousin Kyle was about 5'7 with short jet black hair that was in desperate need of a trim. He was the reckless one who rarely thought things through before he acted on them. This usually landed them in more trouble then they wished to be in. It was this kind of behavior that attracted girls to him. 

Nikki continued to sip her coke that she had gotten from a short skinny waitress who dropping eyelids made Nikki think she was pulling a double shift. "Would you like anything else?" the waitress asked Nikki as she tried to eavesdrop on the cousins conversation.  
"No thanks, I'm good." Nikki handed the waitress enough money for the drink and a generous tip. "By the way, do you have any idea who those two cute guys are over there?" Nikki made sure to keep her voice low so no one else would over hear her.  
"Well honey," the waitress said when she noticed how much of a tip Nikki had given her. "They're planning on leaving first thing in the morning. Something about Austin Texas, so if you’re interested you better make your move soon."   
"Thanks for the information." Nikki said as she smiled at the waitress. She knew you could get a lot of information out of a waitress if you gave them a good tip.   
"No problem, and thanks for the tip. Good luck." the waitress said as she winked at Nikki at walked away to wait on a couple who had just walked through the door.  
John had been the one to suggest to Nikki that she should meet the cousins. He was a fellow hunter who helped rid the world of the evil that had consumed it. There was more evil in this world then most people realized. It wasn't the people who created small acts of violence like robbery that they were interested in. This was nothing compared to what they hunted. They hunted demons that had managed to escape from hell and were now wreaking havoc on the human world. They would possess a human and make them do evil things. It was this kind of evil that people told stories about around the campfire. Most people didn't want to accept that this type of evil really existed, but it did. Luckily there were a few brave people who had enough courage to hunt down the evil beings and send them back to hell where they belonged. They were known only as the hunters.  
Unless you knew what signs to look for you wouldn't know the difference between a normal person and one being possessed by a demon. The hunters were good a figuring this out. Sometimes it took some research to find out just what kind of evil being they were dealing with, but in the end they usually won. Not always, but a lot of the time. Each hunter had their own reason for joining the fight. Some had witnessed the evil and chose to fight on the side of good. Others had unfortunately been on the receiving end in one way or another. Whether it being that they were attacked and had been lucky enough to live or they had a family member or friend who had not been so lucky. Either way they had been drawn into the fight against evil.  
The life of a hunter was by far from being glamorous. They traveled from place to place looking for signs of demonic activity. If they found any they would hunt it down and send it back to hell, risking their own lives in the process. It was a thankless job, but they did it without a second thought as to the danger they were putting their own lives in every day.  
Nikki wasn't sure why John had wanted her to meet them. She was more into the research part of the job. She would research whatever demon or supernatural event they needed to know about and John and her father would hunt it down. That was until a demon got the upper hand during one of their hunts and had killed her father.  
Nikki had been devastated by this event. He had been the only family she had left. Her mother had died when she was just a young girl and her father had raised her to the best of his abilities. John had felt responsible for her father’s death and had made sure she was well taken care afterwords. Although she was grateful for his help, she felt as though something in her life was missing. That she was meant to do more the just research in this war.  
It wasn't until one day when John had seen and asked her about the hexagon birthmark on her shoulder did he start to mention the Samuel cousins. After about a month and countless stories later did he tell her she should meet them. She had been reluctant at first. She hated meeting new people. She never knew what to say and always got off to a bad start. It made her feel awkward in those types of situations, but John just wouldn't let the subject go. So one day she agreed just to get him to drop the subject.  
Now here she was five feet away from them and not sure what to even say. She couldn't just walk up to them. She would need a reason, and a good one or they would get suspicious of her. Demons would do just about anything to get the chance to get close enough to a hunter and kill them. Even if it meant possessing an innocent girl to get the job done.  
The strange thing was that she couldn't help but feel drawn to them. She wasn't sure why, but she just couldn't shake the feeling. It was as if she knew them from her past, but that was impossible. She would remember them. Wouldn't she? Nikki had noticed that Jason kept glancing over his shoulder in her direction. Did he feel the same thing, or was she just being paranoid. For a brief moment their eyes met and Nikki could feel her heart begin to race. She had to look away to regain her composer. Did he suspect her? It was then that Nikki knew she had better check with John before she approached them. She was starting be believe that he hadn't told her the real reason he wanted her to meet them. Besides without a call from someone that they knew they would never trust her. Trust was something you had to earn with a hunter, because trusting the wrong person could get you killed.  
Nikki knew that if John called them and asked them to meet her they would. The three of them often did favors for each other, but after that it was up to her to get to know them. For what reason she had no idea. Just that John had insisted that she do it.

****

Kyle noticed that Jason was distracted by the way he was half listening to the conversation. He figured it was because of the hunt they had just been on. It had been a really bad demon known as a Abiku. They were known to gain possession of an adult and lure innocent children away from their parents. He would then steal their souls.  
The job could really get to you sometimes. The things they had seen and had to do to kill some of the demons weren't pretty. Especially when they couldn't save the human the demon had possessed. Life on the road wasn't easy either. They stayed in dingy motels and ate in cheap diners. It could easily wear on a person. It was a lonely life. They had to avoid getting close to anyone in fear a demon would use that person as bait to get to them. They had learned that the hard way, but someone had to do the job and they did it without any hesitation at all.

****

After the cousins finished their meals and got up to leave Nikki stayed seated at the counter. She didn't want to leave at the same time. It would seem too obvious that she was following them so she just hung back. She figured that they must be staying at the same motel as she was since it was the only one in this small town. So after about twenty minutes she figured it was safe to leave and call John. She needed to know what was really going on, and he was the only person who could tell her.

"John, I know there is more going on then you're telling me. I need to know, you have to tell me the truth!" Nikki practically yelled into the phone. John was being stubborn as usual and it was starting to piss her off.  
"I just thought you should meet them," John said. “Listen if it makes you feel better I'll call them and set up a meeting."  
"Fine." Nikki wasn't happy that he was giving her the run around again. She had promised him that she would at least meet the cousins and although she really wanted to just go home she never broke her promises.  
"I'll set the meeting up for tonight so you can meet them before they leave in the morning."  
"Good," Nikki said as she hung up the phone. She didn't like it when people messed with her, but she was too tired to argue with him anymore. So to keep the peace she agreed to go through with the meeting and try to figure things out on her own.

****

Jason couldn't help but try and figure out if he knew the girl at the counter from somewhere. Ever since she had walked in he had this strange sensation in his gut. He couldn't explain it. It was as if he had met her somewhere before, He had a good memory when it came to people and faces, and he knew he had never met her before. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that they were connected somehow. 

"What's up with you?" Kyle asked Jason as they climbed into his black camero. "You were barely listening to me in there."  
"I'm not sure," Jason said in a very uneasy voice. "There was something about that girl that was sitting at the counter in there. I can't explain it, but she seems so familiar to me. It's like I know her from somewhere. But I just can't seem to place her."  
Kyle glanced over at his brother with a worried look on his face. "You know Jason, your gut feelings are usually right. If you feel as though you know her then maybe we should go back in."  
"No, if we were meant to meet then I'm sure we'll see her again someday. Besides I'm tired and all I No want to do is go and relax for a while. We have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow."  
"Sounds good to me," Kyle said as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway that would take them back to their motel.  
Just as they were pulling into the motel Jason's cell phone rang. "Hello" Jason said as he answered it.  
"Hi Jason, its John."  
"What's up John?"  
"Well I heard from another hunter who's in the same town as you. I thought maybe you could get together."  
"To be honest, we just finished a job and already have one lined up. We plan on leaving first thing in the morning."

"What does he want?" Kyle asked Jason as he pulled into the parking spot in front of their motel room.  
"He wants us to meet up with another hunter who's in town. He says he could be of some help to us from time to time," Jason said as he glanced over sideways at Kyle.  
"So let’s do it. We need all the help we can get in this war."  
"OK we'll meet him," Jason said to John. "Where and when?"  
"First of all, he's a she. You won't regret meeting her. She's great at the research aspect of the job. She knows a lot about ancient folklore and urban legends. She's also unbelievable with a computer. She has helped me out quite a few times. I'll have her meet you at your motel room tonight around six. Where are you staying? Oh, by the way her name is Nikki Phillips."  
After Jason gave John the information on where they were staying He hung up wondering why John wanted them to meet another hunter. He knew they worked better alone. It was better not to tempt fate when it came to putting their lives on the line.  
"I wonder who he is?" Kyle asked as they got out of the car.   
"It's not a he, it's a she," Jason said as he opened the door to their room and walked in. It wasn't the best of rooms, he had seen better. The walls consisted of fury green and red wallpaper and the carpet was a dark blue with green circles woven into it.. He couldn't help but wonder how the motel had managed to stay in business so long without changing its decor.  
"A girl, you have got to be kidding me! What kind of help could a girl be to us?" Kyle was one of those people who thought all aspects of hunting should be left up to men. In his mind girls only got in the way.  
"I guess she's good at the research part of the job, and to be honest we both know we need help in that area. Maybe she could give us a few tips. Besides if John thinks we should meet her then we need to do it. After all we still owe him a favor. So let's just meet her, and then we can call it even okay."  
"Whatever." Kyle said as he splashed cold water onto his face. But just as a favor to John."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki meets the cousins, and helps them with a case.

Chapter 3

As Nikki got closer to Kyle and Jason's motel room she was still trying to figure out what to say to them. After all, she still wasn't sure why she was even meeting them in the first place. She just hoped that they would accept her even though she was a girl. She knew some guys had a major problem with girls being hunters. They thought they got in the way and did an inferior job. Even though she only did the research part, she still got a lot of attitude from those who thought that all aspects of hunting should be left up to men. Guys like this irritated her. Why they thought they could do a better job she never knew.  
When she was only two doors away, she noticed two men staggering all over he sidewalk coming toward her.   
"Hey sexy," one of them said. His breath so loaded with alcohol that Nikki wanted to vomit.  
"Wanna come to our room and have some fun?" the other one said.  
"No thanks,” Nikki said avoiding eye contact with them. She was hoping they would get the hint that she wasn't interested and leave her alone. This was the last thing she needed tonight, but when one of them stepped in her path she knew there was going to be trouble. They both reeked of alcohol and their eyes were so blood shot she was surprised that they could even see straight. She didn't want to get into a fight here of all places. But she would never allow anyone to push her around, even if it meant fighting some intoxicated guys.  
"Come on honey, let us show you a good time," the bigger of the two said as he stepped in front of her. He slowly caressed her arm with his hand as he positioned himself so she couldn't step past him.  
"Get your hands off of me you stupid jerk!" Nikki said angrily as she slapped his hand off her arm and tried to step past him.   
"Why, what are you going to do about it sweet thing?" the other guy said stepping in her path.  
"This,” Nikki grabbed his arm and twisting it forcefully behind his back. He tried to pull free, but Nikki only twisted it harder and pushed him into the brick wall of the building.  
His friend tried to help him by grabbing Nikki and pulled her off of him. Nikki quickly broke free, twirled around to his back side and kicked the back of his knee causing him to go crashing to the ground. He tried to get up, but Nikki put her foot on his throat and pressed just hard enough to keep him down. "Is this a good enough time for you?" Nikki asked as she smiled down at him.  
"Hey, what’s going on?” Nikki heard someone yell causing her to back away from the guys. But before he could reach them both guys were up and running down the corridor.  
"You're one crazy lady," one of them yelled back at her but not before he was out of her reach.  
"Are you alright?" Jason asked as he watched the guys running away.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Nikki said as she fixed her shirt.  
"You sure?" Kyle asked as he walked up to her.  
"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks for asking. Nikki looked up and finally realized who she was talking to.  
"You must have had some training, you sure taught those guys a lesson," Kyle said as he motioned towards the guys running away.  
"I've fought worse goons then that. Hi I'm Nikki Philips, John's friend. I believe he told you I'd be stopping by," Nikki said as she extended her hand to Kyle.  
"I'm Kyle and with moves like that I should have known who you were." Kyle said laughing as he shook her hand.  
When Nikki turned and extended her hand to Jason she got hat feeling again, but this time it was stronger. She wished it would go away. She hated not being able to explain things, and this sensation she got whenever she saw Jason was definitely something she couldn't explain. In her mind everything had an explanation, but she couldn't imagine what this one could be.  
"Thanks for the help," she said to Jason. She couldn't help but notice the look on his face when he looked at her. It was as if he wasn't sure he should shake her hand. She was sure he recognized her from the diner.  
"You're welcome," Jason said as he took Nikki's hand. At that precise moment she felt a strange sensation run through her body. It was as though she had been shocked. She immediately pulled her hand out of Jason's and broke eye contact with him. Nikki could see by the look on Jason's face that he had felt the same thing as she had.  
"Come on in," Kyle said as he stepped in front of Jason and gestured towards the door for Nikki to go in.  
"Thanks," Nikki said as she walked into the room.  
"So," Kyle said when they finally came into the room. "How do you know John?" He wanted to find out as much about her as he could and where better to start then with the person who had set this meeting up. Kyle knew that John would never have them meet someone who he himself didn't trust. Although they rarely saw him anymore they had become good friends after Jason parents had died. John had been a friend of his fathers and after the funeral had confided in them the truth about how he knew Nathen Samuel and his wife Elizabeth.  
Nathen had been a hunter of the supernatural. He had kept Elizabeth in the dark about this side of his life for her own safety. He knew that if she had known what he did she would want to join in the fight and he couldn't have that. It was John who had taught them everything about demons and spirits and how to kill them.  
"My dad knew him. They were best friends and used to hunt together. That's how I learned to fight, but I'm much better with a computer and the research part of the job. I used to do a lot of research for my dad before he died last year." Nikki looked down at the floor as she told the brothers about her father. It still hurt her to talk about. She had been extremely close to her dad and his death had been hard on her.  
"So how did you meet him?" She asked as she sat down in a chair at the table.  
"He helped us hunt down the demons who had killed my parents six years ago," Jason said as he sat down in the chair across from her. "He was a big help, so we keep in touch whenever we can." Jason couldn't believe that he had just told her that. He had never told anyone about his parents before, or at least what had really killed them. Kyle had been spending the weekend with Jason while his own parents were out of town.To the rest of the world they had been killed by intruders who had broken into their home in the middle of the night. The boys had only survived because they had been hiding in the house when it had happened.  
When Jason’s parents had heard the intruders breaking in they had forced the boys into a hidden room behind a fake wall in their closet. They had then made them promise to stay hidden no matter what. Jason and Kyle had heard every gruesome aspect of the attack, but were helpless to stop it. They both knew that if they attempted to help them that they too would be killed.   
To this day that was one promise they both had wished they had broken. They could tell that the attackers were into some kind of voodoo by the chanting that they had done while they were torturing Jason’s parents. That was how they had been introduced into the world of the supernatural. To witness such an event had forced them to face the fact that there was real evil in this world. When John had told them that there were ways to destroy that evil, they dedicated their lives to doing so to avenge Jason’s parents death.  
After Jason had told Nikki their story the conversation centered around some of the hunts the cousins had been on and before they knew it was eight o'clock.   
"Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving. Wanna join us for some dinner?" Kyle asked as he stood up.  
"Sure, I'm a little hungry myself," Nikki said. She couldn't believe how well things were going. From what she had heard she had half expected the cousins to be jerks, but that wasn't the case at all. So far they were two of the nicest people she had ever met.

****  
"Nice car," Nikki commented as she climbed into the back seat of Kyle's Camaro.  
"Thanks," Kyle replied as he slid behind the wheel. He did he have to admit that Nikki didn't seem so bad, and she wasn't bad to look at either. She looked like the kind of girl who had been head cheerleader and prom queen. He even had to admit that when he saw her fighting those two guys that he had been a little turned on. By the way Jason was acting he had decided it was best to not make a move. He had never seen his brother like this with a girl before. Especially one he just met. Jason wasn't the type of guy to fall all over a girl. He even hated it when girls made passes at him. He would say it made them unattractive to him, but with Nikki he was a totally different guy.  
At dinner Kyle couldn't help but notice how Jason opened all the doors for Nikki and was being very polite. Nikki too seemed to be taken with Jason. She was laughing at all his jokes whether they were funny or not. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him. It was like Kyle wasn't even at the table. He knew he had no chance at all with this girl.  
Watching Jason with Nikki worried Kyle though. He saw what was developing between them. He didn't want her to get hurt like other girls that they had fallen for. Demons had a way to find out about people in their lives and would use them to get try and kill them.. What if Jason fell for Nikki and she left them, or she got killed because of it? Being the cause of another persons death was a hard thing to deal with. Kyle knew this from experience. He had fallen for a girl on one of their hunting trips and a demon had killed her just because he knew it would make Kyle mad. He still carried the quilt around with him.  
"So," Nikki asked while they were waiting for their dessert order. "Do you have a lead on any new demons yet?"  
"Well there is some strange things happening in Austin Texas we'd thought we'd check out," Kyle said finally getting a word in.  
"Have you done any research on the town yet?" Nikki asked hoping that they would need her help. It was nice to finally hangout with someone her own age, and she wasn't ready to say good night yet.  
"I've done a little, but I'm not good with a computer." Jason said. "We usually just wait until we get to whatever town we're going to then we do the research at the local library. The town people are helpful sometimes too. If you find the right person they can tell you everything that goes on in the town."  
"Well if you'd like I could do some research for you tonight before you leave tomorrow. I can even hack into the library archives from here. There are certain websites that I can also check out. Most sites are garbage, but there are some that contain quite a bit of useful information," Nikki said as the waitress finally brought their desserts.  
"You can do that?" Kyle asked amazed as he took a bite of his pie.  
"You'd be surprised by what I can do," Nikki said smiling.  
"I guess John was right, you are good. We'd love your help. It would save us a lot of leg work." Jason said. "What do you think Kyle?"  
"It sure would be helpful. You sure you don't mind?" Kyle asked Nikki.  
"Not at all, I'd be glad to help." Nikki was excited that they wanted her help.   
As they finished their desserts they filled Nikki in on what they already knew. Which wasn't much at all. There were some people doing some very strange things that were very out of character for them. Then when they were caught they would have no recollection of the crime at all. It wasn't a lot to go on, but it was enough to get their attention.  
When the waitress returned with the check Nikki quickly grabbed it off the table. "My treat," she said as she got up and followed the waitress to the cash register. 

"Where's your laptop?" Nikki asked when they got back to the room that night.  
"It's over there on the desk," Jason said as he pointed toward it.  
"Well, let's see what I can find out for you guys." Nikki said as she sat down at the desk and turned it on. When it finished powering up she couldn't help but laugh a little. "This might take a while, your laptop isn't exactly up to date. You're still using windows millennium and are in need of some serious updates. I'm sure I can still use it but it will take a bit longer than I expected."  
Jason looked at Nikki with a smile on his face. "I told you I wasn't good with a computer .Someday I'll get it updated."  
It took Nikki about an hour to find out a lot more about the town than Jason and Kyle had already known. "Well," Nikki said as she turned toward the cousins who were patiently waiting at the table for her to finish. They had started to play a game of cards while she was doing her research.   
"I can tell you that the town has a very dark past going back nearly two hundred years. It started in the 1800's when a man was hung for stabbing his wife to death. He claimed that his wife had gone mad and he had killed her in self- defense. No one believed his story so he was hung. Ever since then every 100 years strange things start to happen in the town. Then they stop just as sudden as they started. From what I've been able to dig up it's the descendants from the people that had hung the man that are committing the crimes."  
"Wow," Kyle said "You are good, how did you find all that out so fast."  
"I told you, I know my way around a computer. I've also read a lot about folklore and urban legends." Nikki said as she closed the laptop and stood up.  
"So what are your plans now?" Jason asked Nikki.   
"I'm not sure. My car broke down in the last town so I hitched here and was waiting for the next bus back home. I haven't actually talked myself into going home yet though. It gets so lonely there. John tries to keep me busy by giving me names of hunters who could use my help and that's where I go." Nikki knew this was a lie, the only hunters that she had ever helped were John and her dad and maybe the rare few that happened to visit them.  
"You know, you should come with us to Texas," Jason said "You seem to already know more about the town then we do, and you could really help us out if we need some more research done."  
"I don't know?" Nikki said trying not to let it show that she was excited that they had invited her to go with them. I don't want to impose."  
"Nonsense, you don't mind do you Kyle? I mean look at how she has already helped us." He shot his brother a look that told him that even if he did mind that he better not say so.   
"He does have a point." Kyle said after seeing the not so subtle look his cousin had shot him. "We could use you help. That's if you weren't heading somewhere else."  
"No, I wasn't. I hadn't actually decided where I was going yet. Besides for once it would be nice to have some company," Nikki said as she smiled. She couldn't help but think that this would make John very happy. "Well, it's getting late, I better get going. I'm in room four if you need anything." As Nikki closed the door behind her she hoped that she was doing the right thing, but something deep down inside told her that this was exactly where she belonged.

"I guess it is getting late," Jason said as he looked at his watch.  
"What the heck just happened?" Kyle asked as soon as the door was closed.  
"What do you mean?" Jason asked as he kicked off his shoes.   
"I mean how could you invite her to come along without even asking me first? You know how I feel about girl hunters."  
"First of all technically she isn't a hunter, she just does the research, and second if you didn't want her to come you should have said something."  
"You ambushed me, what was I supposed to say." Kyle sat down on the bed across from Jason's. He was really mad. It wasn't that Jason had invited her that had bothered him, but that he hadn't asked him first.  
"Listen," Jason said as he pulled off his pants and climbed into bed. "She is good at what she does, and look at what she has already found out for us. I searched for over an hour and found nothing even close to what she found. You have to admit that we could use someone with her talent."   
"You're right." Kyle said as he began to calm down. He knew that Jason was right. Nikki could be a big help to them. With her help they could track down twice as many demons as before. "Just make sure she stays behind the scenes!"  
"I will. Besides I told you there was something about her. I'm not sure what it is, but maybe we should keep her close until we can figure it out."   
"Whatever." Kyle said. Besides he thought to himself if Jason thinks that they should keep an eye on her how better to do it then to have her with them. He could already tell that things between Nikki and Jason were going to get complicated and fast, but maybe falling for a hunter would be different. After all Nikki already knew what they really did for a living so maybe things would work out for the better this time. It was about time one of them found happiness in the love department, he just hoped that it worked out this time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Nikki find information on who may be committing the crimes.

Chapter 4

"Hey sleepy head," Kyle said to Nikki as she sat up. She had fallen asleep about an hour after they had crossed the state line.  
"What time is it?" Nikki asked rubbing her eyes.  
"About two AM. You should really try and get some more sleep. We still have a way to go yet," Jason looked over his shoulder at Nikki and smiled at her.  
"Haven't you guys slept yet?"  
"No we're used to getting little to now sleep."  
"I wish I could say the same," Nikki said as she laid back down and closed her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep again she thought of Jason and his smile. There was something about his smile that Nikki liked. Maybe it was the dimple he would get or the way his eyes would twinkle.

"Did you find anything yet?" Jason asked Nikki as he looked over her shoulder at the book she was reading.  
"Nothing yet," Nikki responded as she flipped the page. She couldn't help being a little flustered by having him so close to her. She could feel his warm breath caressing her neck as she tried to concentrate.  
"You know, your hair is so soft," Jason said as he played with a lock of her hair.  
"Thanks," Nikki said as started to blush.  
Jason reached down and took the book out of Nikki's hand and laid it on the table. "Why don't you take a break?" he said as he touched her cheek with his hand.  
Nikki stood up and turned to face Jason who moved closer to her. "You know Nikki, I've never felt like this before. There's something about you that makes me want to do this." and he pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her lips.  
Nikki reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him even closer to her. She could feel the her heart racing with excitement.

Nikki bolted awake. "Wow, it was just a dream!" she said softly.  
"You alright?" Kyle asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a dream." Nikki took a deep breath, Her heart was still pounding by the though Jason's kiss. It had felt so real. When her heart finally slowed down she glanced at Jason and saw that he was asleep. She couldn't help but watch him for a moment and wonder what he was dreaming about.

****

"What is going on!" Kevin Mayer yelled as the cop wrestled him to the ground.. "Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything!" he screamed as the cop handcuffed him.  
"Tell that to the judge," Officer Johnson said pulling him to his feet. He had never seen anything like this in his twelve years on the force. And he wasn't going to be easy with the creep who had done it. He didn't care if the guy brought charges against him for police brutality. "I hope they throw the book at you for what you did!" he told the suspect.  
"What do you mean, I didn't do anything!" Kevin yelled. "I was just pumping gas into my car and the next thing I know your throwing me to the ground." Out of the corner of his eye Kevin saw a smoldering body on the ground. "You don't think I did that, do you?" He asked. He was starting to cry now. He knew that he was in serious trouble. Everyone kept telling him he did it, but he couldn't remember anything. How could this have happened?  
"What's that?" officer Johnson replied sarcastically. He made sure to stop right in front of the body. "Why don't you get a good look at what you did. That's the poor women you just set on fire."  
Kevin's face turned pure white as he realized what he was being accused of. "You have the wrong guy," he yelled as the cop shoved him into the cop car and slammed the door on him in mid- sentence.

 

"Humans," the spirit said laughing as he watched the cop put the poor guy into the back the squad car. They were so much fun to play with. That poor guy had no idea what he had just done. The best part was that he was sure to get the death penalty for it. It had only taken him a second to slip into Kevin's body while he was pumping gas into his car. He had then used Kevin's body to spray the gas onto the women who had the misfortune to pull up at the next pump. The pure horror on her face when Kevin had lite the match. It was priceless. Not something he would forget anytime soon. He could still picture it in his mind. She was set ablaze the instant the match hit her body. The flames were a dark blue with a hint of red. The smell of burning flesh was still in the air.  
She had tried to put out the flames by dropping to the ground, but that only made matters worse by the drops of gas on the ground by other cars. A cop had been driving by when he saw what was happening and immediately called it in. The gas attendant seeing the whole thing had sprayed her with water from a near by hose, but it was a little to late. She was dead from third degree burns over her entire body within minutes.  
What fun he had been having. Every one hundred years he would return to get his revenge. It was the descendants he was picking off one by one. This time around had proved to be his best work yet There had been others before Kevin Mayer. In one instance he had slipped into one guy and made him think his wife was trying to kill him. The poor fellow became so paranoid that one day he had stabbed her over thirteen times. He didn't stop until he was sure she was dead. George had then slipped out of his body.  
All he had said when they arrested him was that at least he got her first. The best part was that his wife wasn't even trying to kill him, but by merely being inside of him to control his thoughts the man had begun to question everything she had done and said until that day when he had snapped.  
Then there was the women who had driven her car into the path of a semi-truck. That had been his work also. One moment she was driving down the highway and the next she was crossing the divider into oncoming traffic. He had slipped out of her body just before the impact. The police had assumed it had been suicide.  
Last of all was this lucky gentleman who had just dosed a woman with gasoline and set her on fire. That had been his favorite. The pure thrill he had gotten when she was first set ablaze. The screams had only lasted a few moments because they had been so intense that her vocal cords had been disintegrated rather quickly.  
These were only a few of the murders that he had caused. He still had one more descendant to track down and his death to plan. 

****

"So any specific type of motel you prefer to stay at?" Kyle asked Nikki as they crossed the state line into Texas.  
"No, any motel will due. Just as long as it's not crawling with bugs," Nikki said. I'm not that picky. All I ask for is a comfortable bed and a hot shower and I'm happy."  
"Then I guess this motel is good enough," Kyle said as he pulled into the first motel he saw. "From the looks of the one across the street this is the better of the two."  
They registered the boys in one room and Nikki in the one right next door. "I'll start my research as soon as I unpack," Nikki said just as a police car raced past them with its sirens going full force.  
"That can't be good," Jason said as he looked out the window. "Maybe we should follow it to see what's going on. It could be our demon that’s causing all the commotion."  
"Good idea," Kyle said as he walked quickly toward the car. "Nikki you stay here until we know what's going on. I don't want you getting hurt."  
"That's fine with me," Nikki said. "I prefer to stay behind the scenes and go unnoticed. Besides if you two do something stupid and get arrested you'll need me to bail you out."  
"Very funny, but good point," Jason said recalling a time when this had actually happened. They had to wait for hours until a friend arrived to bail them out.

 

"What happened here?" Jason asked a bystander as they joined the crowd of people that had gathered at the gas station.  
"Some psychopath torched that poor women. They're saying that he's denying it, but there were witnesses who saw him do it.  
"Really!" Kyle said giving his brother a look that meant this might be what they were here for. Demons and angry spirits were known to possess humans and use their bodies to do their dirty work. They would then leave the body and let the human take the fall for what he had done.   
"He's actually denying he had anything to do with it?" Kyle asked as he watched the coroner take the body away.  
"Yeah, he doesn't remember any of it. I heard a cop say the last thing he admits to remembering is pumping gas into his own car. Then he was being thrown to the ground but the cops." A reporter told Kyle as he snapped another picture.  
"This could be exactly what we're here for," Jason said as he opened the door to the car and got in. "How could you not remember doing something like that."  
"I know. Let’s get back to the motel and fill Nikki in. Maybe she can find out more about the case." Kyle said as he started the car. "Know we'll be able to see if she's as good as she says." Kyle was still a little skeptical of Nikki, but that was how he was with everyone he just met. Until a hunter actually proved themselves to Kyle he couldn't fully trust them. So whether he could really accept Nikki as one of them was still to be determined.

"Hey guys, did you find out what all the commotion was about?" Nikki asked as Jason and Kyle came through the door.  
"Yeah," Jason said as he sat down at the table. "Some women was set on fire and the guy who did it won't admit to it. He says he can't remember doing it."  
"How many times have we heard that before," Kyle said as he sat at the table with Jason. "It sounds exactly like the information you gave us before we got here. Think you could try and find out anything knew about what's been going on in this town."  
"Actually while you were out I bought some local newspapers and found a couple of articles that you may want to look at. Besides the one incident we already know about there have been two more strange deaths plus this one in the last two weeks alone." Nikki handed Kyle the articles. If my calculations are correct, we have about six more days to catch this spirit before he disappears for another hundred years."  
Kyle had to admit that Nikki definitely took her job seriously. They hadn't been in town for more than two hours and she had already found some very useful information. Maybe she could be helpful to them he thought as he read the articles she had given him.  
"What it sounds like is that we're dealing with a vengeful spirit who can possess people with his main objective of killing.” Jason said as he finished reading the newspaper clips that Kyle had handed him. "So right now we just have to figure out how to put him to rest before he can kill anyone else. Do you think you can find out just how he was killed and where he was buried?"   
"Not a problem" Nikki said I just need to find the local library. I have to do some of that research from books on this town." Nikki grabbed her laptop case from the bed. "Did you happen to see where the library was when you were out before?"  
"No, but I'll help you find it. It's probably on the other side of town. Do you want to come with us?" Jason asked Kyle as he stood up.  
"No, you two go. I'll take a walk around town to talk to some of the locals. I'll see what I can find out from them. You know how people like to talk in small towns like this."  
"Sounds good, we'll meet you back here when we're finished.” Nikki was already in the passenger seat looking at a map of the town that they had picked up.  
"Looks like you were right," Nikki said to Jason as he got in the car. "From the looks of it the library is on the other side of town by the town hall. If we can't find anything at the library then we should be able to find it in the archives at town hall.  
Jason hoped that they could find the information they needed at the library. The less people asking questions about what they were researching the better. He had learned from experiences that when you started asked questions about where someone was buried, the more attention you would draw to yourself. That was the last thing they wanted to do. It was never a good idea to have people wonder what you were up to. It was always led to trouble. They like to stay under the radar of the local cops and to do what had to be done and get out of town before people could start asking questions about them.

"Wow," Nikki said as they walked through the main doors of the library. She couldn't believe how big it was. Especially since it was in such a small town. It was two stories high and had book shelves on every wall. "There must be some kind of information here that can be useful to us in here."  
"Let's hope so," Jason said as he guided Nikki to a table that was in the far corner of the library and the most secluded spot he could see. "Let's sit here, that way we can have some privacy.”  
"Good idea." Nikki set her laptop down on the table. "I'll start my research on the web, and you start with the books. Between the two of us we should be able to find out what we need to know."  
As Jason searched the shelves for the books he needed he couldn't help but stop and stare at Nikki for a moment. He liked the way she would play with a strand of her hair when she was concentrating on something. It made her look so cute. He could get used to her being a part of the team.  
He realized he had been staring for a while when Nikki looked up and caught him looking at her. She just smiled at him and went back to working on what she was doing. He could feel his face begin to get red with embarrassment, so he quickly went back to looking for what he needed and soon after that he found it.  
"Look what I found," Jason said as he sat down at the table with Nikki. "These are on the history of the town. Maybe we can find something in them we could use?"  
"Great," Nikki said as she grabbed one of the books. "Let's see if it has a family name, because I can't seem to find out anything we don't already know. At least with a name I'll be able to narrow my search and hopefully get more results."  
As Jason and Nikki skimmed through the books they came up with the same information. About a hundred years ago there was this newly married couple George and Jane Windmen who had built their home near one of the oldest grave sites in town. People had warned them not to do this, because they believed that the area was haunted by the people who were buried there. But the couple didn't listen and built their home there anyway. They had built a two story colonial with a wrap- around porch. Jane had planted a garden which made the house even more beautiful. It had been the home of their dreams.  
Not long after they first moved in Jane began to act strange. George claimed that she would disappear for hours at a time and when she did return home she would have no idea that she had even left the house. Then one day Jane attacked George with a kitchen knife and in self- defense had killed her. The town folk didn't believe that it was self-defense they didn't believe that he couldn't restrain his wife. They decided that his punishment would be death by hanging. So they hung him in the old oak tree in his front yard. They then buried him under the same tree. He swore he would get his revenge on everyone who had anything to do with his death.  
"Well, at least we know that we're dealing with a vengeful spirit who can somehow possess people and make then do his bidding," Jason said. "Let's get back to the hotel room and see if Kyle has found out anything else. We also need to find out where this house is located today, so we can find his bones and burn them so his soul will finally be able to rest in peace.  
"Sounds good to me," Nikki said as she closed her laptop.

"Do you think Kyle found out anything else?" Nikki asked Jason when they got back to the motel room.  
"If he had a women waitress I bet he did. Kyle seems to have a way with women. He can usually get any information out of them that he wants," Jason said as he got out of the car.  
"I have to drop my bag off in my room first. I have to charge my laptop battery, it's almost dead."  
As Nikki and Jason entered the room Nikki set her laptop on the table and walked over to her dresser to get her charger.   
"Is something wrong?" Jason asked when he noticed Nikki looking around the room with a confused look on her face.  
"I could have sworn I left my charger on top of my dresser, but it's not here."  
"Did you check in the dresser? Maybe you left it in there."  
Nikki opened the top dresser drawer and found the charger. "You're right. it's here. It's just that I could have sworn I had left it on top of the dresser."  
"Maybe you were in a rush and just thought you did."  
"Probably. Anyways I found it so let's get back to your room and see if Kyle is back with any new information," Nikki said as she grabbed her charger and followed Jason out the door.

****

Jason and Nikki walked into the motel room to see Kyle looking at a map of the town.  
"Did you find out anything?" Jason asked Kyle as he sat down at the table.  
"Actually I found out quite a bit today. I found this diner in town with a waitress who loves to gossip. She told me there have been three other deaths besides the one we saw today. All were just as strange as the one before it. Each person who had committed the crime had no prior mental health issues or any kind of police record. Yet each had killed or been killed in a way that was out of character for them. They each deny committing the crime and claim to have no memory of the crime itself." Kyle said as he continued to look at the map.  
"We believe it's a vengeful spirit. We found a story about a man who was hung and swore revenge on the town because of it," Jason said.  
"My thoughts exactly," Kyle said as he marked a spot on the map. "So I'm looking for all the old cemeteries in this town because I figure an old fashion salt and burn is the best way to go."  
"We know where he was buried," Nikki said as she looked over Kyle's shoulder at the map. "It wasn't in a cemetery. He was buried under the oak tree he was hung from in his front yard."  
"Good, but before we can do our job we have to locate the house and that could take some time," Kyle said.  
"I can look on the Internet," Nikki said as she sat down beside Jason and opened her laptop. "Stuff like gets tourists attention so towns sometimes make sure to put that information on certain websites to get tourists attention."  
"While you do that I'll go and get us some dinner," Kyle said as he walked toward the door. "What do you guys want?" he asked as he glanced back over his shoulder.  
"I'll just have a turkey sandwich and some fries," Nikki said as she continued to search for the website she wanted.  
"And I'll take a burger and some fries," Jason said. He couldn't help but wonder why Kyle wanted to go back and get some diner for everyone. He usually liked to eat out. There must be a pretty waitress that had caught his eye earlier.

"I'll be right back. I forgot something in the car," Jason told Nikki as he followed Kyle out the door.  
"How could you do that!" he asked Kyle after they closed the door behind them.  
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked as he leaned up against the car.  
"I know you were in Nikki's room. You went through her things, why?"  
"Listen Jason, we know nothing about her. Just that she knows John. I want to make sure she is who she says she is."  
"What are you talking about?  
"You don't think it's weird that out of the blue she shows up. If she's so good how come we've never heard of her before?"  
"Sure it's strange, but something tells me we can trust her. So stay out of her things. okay."  
"Fine, besides I made some calls while you were out and her story checks out."  
"I told you," Jason said as he turned and walked back into the room.  
As Kyle climbed behind the wheel of his Camaro he just hoped that Jason was right. He wanted to be able to trust Nikki. So for now he would have to give her the benefit of the doubt and trust her.

After Kyle left to get some dinner Nikki continued her research while Jason looked over the map again so he could familiarize himself with the town. When it came time to do their job he would want to know how to get away from the site fast.  
"I think I found something," Nikki said as she turned the laptop at an angle for Jason to see.  
Jason pushed his chair closer to Nikki's so they could look at the screen together. "What did you find?"  
"Look here." Nikki pointed to the screen. "According to this the oak tree was in the front of the house that the couple lived in. So all we gave to do is hope that the house is still there. It says that it was on a street called Cherry Lane. Did you happen to see any streets named that on the map? Hopefully they didn't change the name since then."  
"You know, I think we actually may get lucky because I think I did." Jason grabbed the map to see if he could find the street again. "Here it is," he said as he pointed to it for Nikki to see."  
As they were looking at the map, Kyle came in with his arms loaded with food. "Just how hungry are you?" Nikki asked jokingly as Kyle set the food on the table. "You must have enough food here to last us through lunch tomorrow.   
"I was just being a good American by giving the diner a little extra business." Kyle said with a smirk on his face.  
"What's her name?' Jason asked as he looked up and smiled at Kyle.  
"How come you always think there's a girl involved? Kyle asked Jason while trying to keep a straight face. "And she's not a girl, she's a young lady and her name is Katie."  
"I knew there must be a girl when you offered to go and get dinner for us. But let's not forget we have a job to do first," Jason said in a serious tone.  
"I know, I know," Kyle said. "Business before pleasure, so let's take care of the business we came here to do. Did you find anything else out?"  
"We actually did," Jason said ""While you were out getting your next date we located the burial site. It's not far from here."  
"Good, so let's eat and get ready so we can get the job done."


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Kyle try to salt and burn the ghosts bones.

Chapter 5 

After they finished their dinner Jason, Nikki and Kyle grabbed the map and headed out to check the address on Cherry Lane. They decided that they should walk, that way they could familiarize themselves with the town and create an easy getaway route just in case it became necessary to flee in a hurry.  
"According to the map, this is it." Kyle said as they stopped in front of a run down house. It looked as though no one had lived in it for years. Most of the windows were broken, and the front porch was falling apart.  
"I don't see the tree though," Nikki said as she walked through the broken gate into the yard. "Maybe it's around back."  
As they walked around the house to the back yard they made sure to look at how close the other houses were. Luckily they were spaced apart fairly well. No one would be able to see what they were doing. There was a fence in the backyard surrounding the property, and although it was falling apart it would easily provide enough privacy from anyone who might pass by and wonder what they were up to.  
"There it is," Jason said as he rounded the corner of the house to see the tree. Everything in the back yard was over grown except for a spot right under the tree, which was bare. That was one of the signs that a grave was there and that the spirit was a restless one who needed to be put to rest.  
"Well, it looks as though this should be a fairly easy job," Kyle said as he stopped in front of the tree and looked around. We'll have to come back at night though, that way if someone does happen to walk by we'll have the cover of darkness to conceal us.  
"Sounds good to me, but this is where my part ends." Nikki said as she followed the brothers back out to the street. "I'm strictly a researcher.  
"That's fine," Jason said. "Kyle and I are so used to doing things a certain way, and you might get in the way in you come along. Plus if something does go wrong and we get caught we'll need you to bail us out.  
"Fine with me," Nikki said. She was glad that they didn't expect her to join them on the hunt. She had never actually done any of the fighting before. Sure she had fought humans, but spirits and demons were a totally different story. She would be happy to just hang back at the motel room and let them do the work.

****

George wondered who the people were that were in his backyard looking at the oak tree that his body was buried under. He could clearly still remember the day that he had been hung. He had pleaded for his life, but they just wouldn't listen. So right before they tightened the noose around his neck he had sworn to get his revenge. His time was almost up here and he was hoping to track down a couple more people. He didn't want to have to dispose of the strangers as well. His only grudge was against the descendants of the people who had hung him by the very tree that the three strangers were standing in front of. It would be unfortunate for anyone to get in his way, because he wouldn't think twice about having to get rid of them.

 

****  
"Time to go," Kyle said as he looked out the window of the motel room. "It's dark enough now that no one will be able to see us in the back yard of the house."  
"Let's just hope that it goes smoothly," Jason said picked up the bag he had packed with the necessary supplies they would need. "Something tells me this is one spirit who isn't going to go easily."  
"Do you think it even knows that we're here?" Nikki asked as she shut the television off.  
"You never know," Kyle said. "Most spirits are sneaky and can appear out of no where. I bet as soon as we start to salt his bones he shows up and causes trouble."  
"Let's just get this over with," Jason said as he opened the door. Nikki stay here and keep the door locked until we get back. Don't open it for anyone but us."

As they pulled up in front of the house they scanned the area for anyone who might get in their way. When they saw that there was no on around they got out of the car and opened the trunk. Jason grabbed his bag and the gas can while Kyle picked up the jug of salt, a shovel and his shotgun. They always made sure they were prepared when it came to a hunt. They never knew what was going to happen at any moment, and they didn't want to get caught off guard.  
"You dig up the bones while I keep watch" Kyle told Jason as he handed him the shovel.  
"Why do I have to dig up the bones?" Jason asked.  
"Because I dug the hole the last time, remember." Kyle said. This was the one thing they always argued over. Neither one of them like to do the digging.  
"Whatever!" Jason replied sarcastically as he grabbed the shovel from Kyle and began to dig the hole. "Let's just get the job done and quickly."

*

"Finally," George said as he watched the girl come out of the store and get into her car. He had been waiting all day for the right moment. He slipped in side her body so gently that the only evidence that anything had even took place was that she coughed as if she had some chest congestion. Oppressing a soul was the only way that he could get control of a person. He had the gift of constantly being able to put thoughts into a person's mind until they came to believe they were true. After this one there would only be time for him to kill one more person before he would have to go away for another hundred years. His plan was to get her to kill herself in some way when she got home. The police would just assume her death was a household accident or a suicide. Only he would know the truth and that was all that mattered.  
He stayed quite in her mind as she drove home. It was when she started to put her groceries away that he began to torment her by whispering how overweight she was. He knew this was a sore spot for her because when he would inhabit a human body he would also gain all their memories. So he knew all her life she seemed to be overweight no mattered how hard she tried to diet. Good looks ran in her family, but they seemed to pass her by. In high school and college she was constantly picked on for her appearance. She thought she had moved past that stage in her life. She finally finished college and was out on her own for the first time.  
In the end his new plan was to get her to go up the stairs and throw herself off the balcony to the floor below. The police would just assume she had slipped and fallen over, or had committed suicide like he had planned.

****

When Jason found the bones he climbed out of the hole. "I'm done," he said to Kyle who was leaning up against the tree keeping watch. "Hurry up and salt them so we can get out of here. Something about this house gives me the creeps."  
Kyle reached down and picked up the jug of salt and began to pour it over the entire set of bones. He made sure to cover all of them so when he set them on fire they would all get burned. Leaving any of them unburned burned would cause the spirit to still be able to materialize.  
"Okay, I'm done. Go ahead and pour the gas and light them em up." Kyle said as he set down the empty jug.

 

Just as George was about to get the girl to walk up the stairs he felt himself begin to grow weak. It was taking all of his energy just to stay inside the woman’s body. It was then that he realized what was happening, he was being summoned back to his bones, and this time it was for good. It must be those rotten kids that were in his backyard earlier. George knew that they might be trouble, but he didn't realize that it would be so soon. He would have to take care of these guys before he could finish off the women.

 

Jason took out the box of matches and lite the match, but before he could throw it on the bones a strong gust of cold air blew it out. Knowing what this meant he turned around just in time to see a ghostly figure of a spirit force himself into Kyle's body.  
"Get away from my bones," he heard him say through Kyle as he picked up the shovel and swung it at Jason's head.  
"I don't think so!" Jason ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the shovel. "Not as long as you’re killing innocent people."  
"Innocent, I don't think so. If it wasn't for their ancestors then I would have lived a long life myself. They wouldn't listen to me. They couldn't see the truth, they were so insistent on hanging me right from the start."  
"You know well enough that these people had nothing to do with your death. As long as you insist on carrying out your vengeance on innocent people we'll do everything we can to put your soul to rest." Jason knew that he needed to set the bones on fire in order to save Kyle.  
"I warned those people that I would return and that they would regret not listening to me." He turned toward Jason and raised his hand sending Jason flying across the yard and away from his bones. "They also under estimated me, just as you have my friend. You will both pay for it with your lives."  
Jason ducked as the spirit sent another ball of energy toward him. "You don't think you can kill me that easily do you?" Jason asked as he stood up.  
"It looks like I have the upper hand here my friend, and there's nothing you can do about it. Not as long as I have control of your friend’s body."  
Jason knew that the spirit was right. He would never endanger his brother's life. He would have to find a way to get the spirit t o leave Kyle's body before he could do anything. It was at that moment that George's bones burst into flames.  
"No!" George made Kyle yell as he fell to the ground and was pulled from Kyle's body and back into the earth where he would finally be able to rest in peace.  
Jason ran to where Kyle's body lay on the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked as he helped Kyle to his feet.  
"I'm fine. I hate it when that happens. We really need to find a way to protect ourselves from being possessed." Kyle said. "That was some trick setting the bones on fire, I didn't even see your hand move."  
"I didn't do it. I don't know how that happened."  
"I did it," Nikki said stepping out from behind a bush.  
"What are you doing here?" Kyle and Jason both asked simultaneously.  
"I was curious as to just what happened on a hunt. So I followed you here. When I saw what was happening I went around the side of the house and set the bones on fire." Nikki said.  
"We could have handled it." Kyle said as he picked up the shovel and walked back toward the car.  
"What do you mean?" Jason asked "She saved our butt’s. You should be thanking her."  
"Whatever," Kyle opened the trunk and threw the shovel in. "But the next time we tell you to stay behind, you stay back!"

"What were you thinking?" Jason asked Nikki when they were safety back at the motel room. "The last thing we need when we're on a hunt is to have to worry about you."  
"I'm sorry." Nikki said as she sat down on the bed. "Like I said before, I was curious. I've never actually been on a hunt."  
"You need to understand that when we're on a hunt the more people involved the more danger there is. So for your safety you need to stay at the motel the next time. We don't need to be worrying about you getting hurt." Kyle said.

Nikki couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kyle wanted her help on other jobs. He actually wanted her to stay with them. She thought for sure that after what she had pulled tonight he would say she was to reckless and they should part ways. "So in other words you still want my help?" Nikki asked Kyle.  
"Sure, that's if you don't mind putting up with us. You defiantly know your stuff, and we need that kind of help." Kyle said.  
"Yeah, but you have to promise not to pull another stunt like you did tonight." Jason said as he sat down at the table.  
"I guess I can do that." Nikki said.  
"Good, now go and get some rest. We leave first thing in the morning." Kyle said.


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki, Jason and Kyle enjoy a night out on the town

Chapter 6 

As Nikki was about to knock on Jason and Kyle's motel room door she could hear them arguing. "Not again!" She thought to herself. It had been over four months since she had joined them. She knew that what they did was stressful, but the fighting between them was getting out of hand. She was glad that she had her own room and didn't have to listen to it all day and night. She did spend a lot of time in their room while doing research for them, but when they would start to argue she would just leave and go to her own room. It wouldn't be long before Jason was knocking on her door for some peace himself. Nikki didn't mind Jason's company. She had fun with Jason. They got along really well together. Not that she didn't get along with Kyle. She did but there was just something about Jason that she connected with more. She kept thinking about mentioning having a night out and tonight she was going to insist on it, she thought as she knocked on the door.  
"Hi Nikki." Kyle said as he opened the door so she could come in. She could tell they had been fighting by the look on their faces. Kyle would get wrinkles on his forehead and Jason's cheeks would turn red.   
"So what is it this time?" Nikki asked smiling as she walked into the room. "Did Kyle use all the hot water again or is Jason listening to the TV to loud?" Nikki couldn't help but laugh as she said this. She had become close to the brothers and felt as though she could openly joke with them.  
"Very funny." Jason said as he gently punched her in the arm.   
"You know, I think we need a night off. We've all been a little tense lately." Nikki said as she took at seat at the table. She couldn't help but think that this motel had the ugliest furniture she had ever seen. Just one more night she thought as she looked at the puke green table with red dots encircled in it. "I know I'm tired of being cramped up in my room all the time. Not to mention that yo guys have been working overtime lately. I mean how many demons have you fought and conquered in the last few months."  
"Not enough." Kyle said as he sipped his coffee.  
"I know," Jason said. "They seem to be multiplying, but right now we do need a night out. Besides wouldn't you rather be drinking a nice cold beer instead of that coffee?"  
"You're right!" Kyle said as he dumped his coffee down the drain. "How about the bar across the street? It looks like it's doing some pretty good business." He said as he looked out the window. "They must have a good band tonight."  
"Great." Nikki said as she got up and looked out the window with Kyle. It was only 7:30 and the parking lot was full already. "I just need to get ready first."   
"What do you mean get ready, you look good just the way you are." Jason said.  
"Well thanks sweetie." Nikki said as she winked at Jason. "I just need to change my clothes. You can't expect me to go out for a night on the town dressed in shorts and an old t-shirt can you? Just go ahead and save me a seat. I'll meet you there as soon as I'm ready." And before Jason could protest again she was out the door.

"Dude, you should just tell her already," Kyle said with a smirk on his face. Jason was always saying things like that to Nikki. It was so obvious that he had the hots for her. Obvious to anyone but Jason and Nikki that was. He had once tried to get Nikki to realize that she had feelings for Jason, but in the end he had to admit that she was in denial also. There had even been a few people who had asked how long they had been together. Jason and Nikki had just laughed it off and insisted that they were just friends. Hopefully tonight they would realize how they felt about each other.  
"Tell her what," Jason asked his brother as they walked out the door. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Never mind. Forget I said anything. Let's just have some fun tonight. Nikki's right, we've earned it."

*

As Kyle opened the door to the bar he could tell this was going to be quite a night. The band was jamming and the dance floor was full. It seemed like a decent bar to have a good time in he thought as they made their way to the only empty table in the bar. They had just sat down when the waitress appeared to take their order. "Two beers and two shots of Jack," Kyle said as he winked at the waitress.

Jason couldn't help but roll his eyes. Here we go again he thought to himself. It never failed. No matter what bar they went to Kyle always seemed to end up with the prettiest girl in the place. Not to mention that the girl would have a friend that Kyle would try to hook him up with. Even when he would tell Kyle he wasn't interested he would introduce her anyway. Of course she was never as good looking as the girl on Kyle's arm.

What a beautiful night Nikki thought as she walked across the street to the bar. It was a warm night and the stars were shining bright in the sky. She loved nights like this. It was times like this one when it was hard to imagine that there was any real evil in this world. Just as she reached the bar her cell phone rang. As she opened it she realized it was a text from Jason. "HELP ME!" it said. All she could do was laugh. Kyle was probably trying to fix him up with a strange girl. Jason had told her stories about him doing that. Luckily he always managed to get out of it. Most of the time he would pretend he needed to use the bathroom and would sneak out the side door.  
As Nikki walked into the bar, she scanned the room to see if she could spot the guys. When she couldn't see them right away she made her way to the bar to order a drink. While she waited for her drink she watched the band. They were good, better then most bands that played in bars. They actually kept the beat and the lead singer sounded like he should already have a record contract. She knew now why the bar was so packed.  
As the bartender handed her the drink she had ordered she spotted the guys sitting at a table near the dance floor. Nikki instantly knew why Jason had text her. They already had two girls at the table. One of them was hanging all over Kyle. The other one was desperately trying to get Jason to notice her, while he kept glancing around the bar looking like he wished he was anywhere but here. As she made her way to the table she was glad that they had agreed to go out this night. They all needed it. Now she just had to help Jason be bale to enjoy it too.  
"Hi honey, sorry I'm late," Nikki said to Jason as she sat down on his lap and kissed him on the cheek making sure to let her lips linger for a moment. "Hi I'm Nikki, Jason's girlfriend. Nikki said to the two girl at the table. One of which looked very unhappy to see her.  
"Why do all the cute ones always have girlfriends." The girl next to Jason whispered to her friend. I was hoping to get to know him better.  
Jason tightened his grip on Nikki's waist and pulled her closer as he overheard the girl.  
"Sorry, but Jason's off limits to anyone but me." Nikki said as she ran her fingers through Jason's hair and looking into his deep blue eyes. She had never noticed how blue they really were. She thought Kyle was going to fall out of his chair after she said that. Nikki was just glad that for once he was going to give his brother a break and go along with the joke.  
"Kyle's still available," Jason said nodding toward him. Kyle looked over at Jason's with a look like he was going to kill him, but both Jason and Nikki knew better. Kyle loved the attention and he knew it, especially now that he had both girls falling all over him.  
"So, how long have you lived in this town?" Nikki asked both the girls.  
"All our lives. It's a nice little town, but it would be much better if there were more cute guys available. It seems like all the cute ones are taken. By the way, I'm Dawn and this is my friend Megan."  
"So where are you guys from?" Megan asked. "Your defiantly not from around here. I would remember seeing you two around town if you were." She said as she glanced over at Jason as if she hoped he was really single.  
"We're just passing through," Jason said as he tightened his grip on Nikki's waist again.  
Nikki could tell that Megan was making Jason feel uncomfortable. "Well I guess the two of you are just going to have to fight over Kyle tonight because Jason is all mine." Nikki said as she kissed Jason's neck and whispered "You owe me." in his ear.  
Jason laughed as Nikki whispered in his ear. "That's right ladies. "I'm a one women man and that women is right here on my lap."  
Nikki guessed that Kyle was willing to play along because he hadn't said anything to the contrary. As the conversation dragged on, the band started to play a good song by Gretchen Wilson. "I love this song," Nikki said as she pulled Jason out of the chair and onto the dance floor. "I should at least get one dance out of you tonight." Nikki said to Jason as they began to dance.  
"I'll do whatever you want," Jason said as he twirled Nikki around. "Those girls are crazy. Thank god you got here when you did." 

Nikki couldn't believe what a good dancer Jason was. He knew all the steps to the line dance they were doing. She had him pegged for more of a rock n roll kind of guy.  
When the song turned to a slow one, Jason pulled Nikki into his arms so she couldn't leave the dance floor. She got the hint, reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and let him lead her around the dance floor again. As they danced Nikki began to wonder why she had never noticed just how cute Jason really was. He had deep blue eyes and a smile that could make her do anything he asked. He was always the one she would go do to when she needed cheering up. He had a way of making her feel better without even having to say a word.  
"I think we have an audience," Jason said as he twirled Nikki around so she could see Kyle and the girls watching them.  
"Do you think they believe us?"  
"I would have to say yes. You were very convincing. I loved the part about me being off limits.   
"Is this what happens every time you two go out?"  
"Just about. I'm glad that you were here to save me this time. That girl was really starting to scare me. I hope I didn't ruin your night by keeping you from meeting other guys?"  
"Please, I'm having a great time. I mean how many times do we get to mess with Kyle? I bet he's over there wondering if we're really a couple and have been hiding it from him this whole time. Or if we're just playing. Besides if they want to stare why don't we give them something to stare at."  
"Are you sure? I don't want to do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable."  
"Not at all. I'm enjoying this game." Nikki said as she reached up and tightly wrapped her arms around Jason's neck.   
Jason then pulled Nikki as close to himself as he could get her, slowly tilted her back a little and gently kissed her on the lips.  
Nikki's heart began to pound, and she hoped that Jason couldn't feel it. His lips were so soft on hers, and when he pulled away she couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She had to look down for a moment to avoid his eyes because she suddenly found herself very attracted to him. Nikki wasn't sure why or what she was feeling. But she did know that the kiss had stirred up some feelings in her that she didn't know she had, and before she knew what she was doing she pulled him into another kiss. This one being longer and more passionate then the one before.

 

Wow Jason thought to himself. Kissing Nikki was amazing. So when she pulled him into another kiss he showed no resistance at all. He was glad she had, because it was something he could get used to. It was at that moment that he noticed how good Nikki looked tonight. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a spaghetti strap shirt. Her hair was let down from the usual pony tail she would keep it in. As he looked down at her and smiled he began to wonder if Kyle had been right. Had he had feelings for Nikki all along and not been able to admit it?   
"If they didn't believe us then, they sure do now." Jason said as he peeked over her Nikki's shoulder at the table. It was taking every ounce of will power he had not to kiss her again. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he was starting to feel differently about her. "You should see their faces," and he twirled Nikki aloud so she could see the table herself.

 

Nikki just glanced over for a moment, then put her head on Jason's shoulder. She liked how it felt to have his arms around her. She couldn't remember a time when she felt this way and she just wanted to enjoy it as long as she could. When the song ended they made their way back to the table. Nikki realized that Jason wanted to continue to play along when he pulled her chair out for her. He even moved his chair closer to hers and put his arm around her shoulder.  
They were all having such a good time that nobody noticed the strange man in the corner who couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Nikki. 

*

"It can't be!" the man said in amazement. "It can't really be her." He had first noticed her when she was on the dance floor with that guy. He kept a close watch on her half expecting her to do something. The underworld had been searching for her for months now. Ever since they had learned of her and what she was meant to do. They had to stop her before she could fulfill her destiny or it meant the end for his kind. He couldn't' let that happen. It was by pure luck that he had found her, and in this bar of all places. He wasn't even going to come here tonight, but his host body needed to be hydrated r it would be off no use to him. He knew he could never confront her here. It was to dangerous. He would have to wait until she was alone to take care of her. There were too many people here. He would just have to keep a close eye on her. He couldn't take the chance of losing her. She was to important to let her slip away. Without her in the picture his kind was bound to win this war.

*

"You know Kyle, maybe you should ask Dawn to dance. I'm sure she'd like to get at least one dance in tonight." Jason said as he motioned toward the dance floor.  
"I actually would." Dawn said as she took Kyle's hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor before he could object.   
Nikki thought Kyle was going to kill Jason, he hated to dance and Jason knew it.  
"Well for someone who hates to dance he's not that bad." Nikki said to Jason as she took a sip of her drink. "You do know that he's going to get even somehow for you doing that, don't you?"  
"I know, but it's worth it. I do still owe him for trying to set me up with that girl. I guess you could say that we're even now." Jason stood up and grabbed Nikki's hand pulling her back onto the dance floor. "I think we should tease him some more and show him how real dancers do it."  
Nikki was glad that Jason was a good dancer. She had some really bad partners in the past. One had actually let her go in mid swing sending her crashing into a table. Jason twirled her around the dance floor like he was a pro, and before they knew it the bar was closing and they were heading back to the motel.

 

"I had a really good time tonight." Nikki told Jason as they walked back to the motel.  
"Me too." Jason replied as he put his arm around her shoulder.  
'So," Kyle said when they got back to the motel and he was pulling out his room key. "Seeing as though Nikki and you are dating I'm sure you won't mind staying in her room tonight. That way Dawn and I can get to know each other better."  
When Dawn heard that she practically ran into the room. There was no way she was going to give Jason time to argue.  
Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. All he could do was look at Nikki who just took it all in stride.  
"Of course he can stay with me." Nikki said as she lead him to her room and unlocked the door so he could go in.   
"I'm sorry," Jason said as Nikki closed the door. "I didn't think he would take it this far and kick me out of the room."  
"It's OK. I really don't mind. I like having someone keep me company. Besides Kyle should be in a better mood tomorrow now." Nikki said laughing. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to change." she said as she went into the bathroom.  
"I'm going to kill Kyle in the morning." Jason said in a low voice so Nikki couldn't hear him. He couldn't believe what was happening. Kyle knew that Nikki only had a queen size bed in her room compared to the to twins in their room. Where did he think he would sleep. There were no couches in any of the rooms.  
He had just started to put a blanket on the floor when Nikki came out of the bathroom. He noticed that she had changed into another tank top and a pair of jersey shorts.  
"What are you doing."she asked him when she saw that he was putting a blanket on the floor. "You don't actually think I'm going to make you sleep on the floor do you? We're both adults, we can share the bed." Nikki bent down and picked up the blankets off the floor.  
"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."  
"Please, it's not like I've never seen you in your boxers before, now get in the bed." Nikki said as she climbed into her side.

 

As Jason got under the covers he made sure not to get to close. Just being this close made him want to get even closer. He could still remember how it had felt when they had kissed, and he wanted to feel that way again. But he wasn't going to cross that line without knowing how she felt first. She was too important to take a chance on losing her as a friend.

 

As Nikki lay on her side of the bed she too was hoping that Jason would make a move. When he had kissed her tonight she had felt something that she wanted desperately to explore. She didn't want to do anything that would put their relationship in jeopardy so she stayed on her side of the bed.   
They both were exhausted and before they knew it they were fast asleep and had rolled into each others arms.


	7. 8

Chapter 8 

Kyle pulled the Camaro into a run-down motel off of interstate 63 totally exhausted from all the driving. The last three days since the attack had been miserable for Nikki. They had checked out of the last motel as soon as Nikki had cleaned up. They figured it would be safer for them on the road. They had no idea if nay other demons knew where they were and they didn't want to take any chances.  
Nikki was lucky enough to have not had any broken bones, but by looking at her you could tell that she had been in a fight. The bruises on her were now a dark purple, and the cut on her lip still looked fresh. Being cooped up in the car wasn't helping anything either. She was glad she could finally take a long hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed. Well as comfortable as motel beds got anyway. To make matters worse she had been having nightmares every night since the attack. She couldn't stop trying to figure out what the demon had been talking about. She had been going over it again and again in her mind, but she still couldn't understand it. The more she thought about it the worse her nightmares got. She finally had to insist that they stop for the night. She desperately needed to get out of the car for a while. She hoped that a change of scenery would help her clear her mind.  
Nikki waited outside with Jason while Kyle went into the motel office to check in. It felt good to stretch her legs. The Camaro was a large car, but not roomy enough.  
Kyle came out of the office with two room keys and handed Nikki one of them. "I got us adjoining rooms. Jason and I will take turns sleeping in the extra bed in your room."  
"I'll just stay with her, that way we don't have to keep moving our stuff back and forth." Jason said as he took his and Nikki's bags out of the trunk. "Is that okay with you?" he asked Nikki.  
Nikki opened the door to her room and walked inside. "I told you already that I would be fine on my own. Just leave me some salt so I can put it around the door and windows. The demons won't be able to get in even if they manage to find us here."  
"We already told you that until we figure out why the last demon attacked you one of us will be with you at all times. That means even at night." Jason put his bag on the bed closest to the door. ''We're not taking any chances. Now stop arguing with us and get used to it."  
"Fine!" Nikki said. She knew that there was no sense of arguing with them, she wasn't going to win anyway. That was the one thing she had learned over the last few months, that when they set their minds to do something they did it.  
"I'm starving," Nikki said as she started to unpack. "Are you guy’s hungry?"  
"I'm always hungry. You should know that," Kyle said. "I saw a diner on the way here, I'll go and grab something and we can eat here." Before Nikki could say that she wanted to go Kyle was out the door.  
"Wow, what was that? He couldn't get out of here fast enough," Nikki said, "He could of unpacked first."  
"I think he figured that if he waited you would want to go with him, and he wants you to lay low for a while." He doesn't want to take any chances until we know what we're up against."  
"Listen," Nikki said getting irritated. "Like I said before I…"  
"Stop right there," Jason demanded before she could finish. "You're not going anywhere until we know that you're safe. We're a team, and when that demon attacked you he attacked all of us."  
"I know. I just don't want to put you in any more danger than you already are in every day." Nikki said as she sat down at the table.  
"Are you kidding me? Danger is our middle name, and like I said before they started this and we're going to finish it. We need your help to do that though. When you start to remember what the demon said we can start to figure things out. So tomorrow we'll start to do some research on what you already remember. Also I think it would be a good idea for you to learn some self-defense. I know you can protect yourself, but there are certain ways to take down a demon and that's what you need to learn." Jason started to unpack himself. "You know we could probably teach each other some things."  
"You're joking right. Me, teach you something. That's funny."  
"Well to be honest, I'm a little jealous of how fast you can find information on the demons we hunt. We would never have learned that in order to kill that demon in Texas we needed to use a silver knife mixed with two different types of blood. It would have taken me weeks to find that out. It took you about an hour. So you teach me that and I'll teach you what I know."  
"I do know some self- defense, that demon just caught me off guard. It was the first time "I've ever come face to face with one. I've never had to actually fight one before. I do know how to do this however." and with one sudden movement of her foot she swept Jason off his feet and sent him crashing onto the bed.  
"That was pretty good," Jason said with a big grin on his face. "But can you do this?" Jason used his foot to side sweep Nikki causing her to fall onto the bed beside him, he then quickly pinned her down. Both Nikki and Jason started to laugh as they wrestled on the bed.

"I'm back," Kyle announced as he walked into the room with an armful of food. "It's nice to see you smile again." he said as he set the food on the table.  
"Shut up." Jason and Nikki said at the same time.  
"I was teaching her some self-defense." Jason said as he grabbed some fries from Kyle.  
"Well, the next time I meet a girl I'll be sure to show her that move." Kyle said making everyone laugh.

The food was pretty decent from what they were used to. The burgers were cooked just right and Nikki was surprised that Kyle had remembered how she liked hers. She didn't think he paid attention to things like that. They were all hungrier then they realized and the food was gone in minutes.  
"That was pretty good," Kyle said as he stood up "I'm going to unpack and get a goods night sleep. See you in the morning." he made sure to leave the adjoining door to their rooms open a little as he left.  
"A good night’s sleep sounds good, but a hot shower sounds even better." Nikki said as she got up. "Mind if I go first?" she asked Jason.  
"No, go ahead. I'll take mine in the morning." Jason said as he sat on the bed to take his shoes off. He didn't want to leave Nikki alone, even for the five minutes it would take him to finish a shower. He would wait till morning when Kyle could watch over her.

Jason woke to Nikki's piercing screams about 3am. He jumped out of bed and grabbed for his gun. As he reached for it he realized that Nikki was having another one of her nightmares, and by the sounds of it the worst one yet.  
She was still trembling when Kyle came running into the room with his gun drawn. "What happened?" he asked as he realized there was no danger.  
"She had another nightmare." Jason said concerned as he handed Nikki a glass of water.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Nikki said as she climbed out of bed still visibly shaken. "Excuse me. I just need to splash some cold water on my face. Nikki quickly walked into the bathroom and shut the door.  
"Wow!" Kyle quietly said after Nikki had shut the door. "These nightmares are getting worse. We defiantly need to find out what's going on.  
"I know, and tomorrow we'll start to figure out this whole mess out. There has to be a reason why they singled her out. It wasn't a random act. That demon waited for us to leave her alone. It had to have planned," Jason said.  
"I know I was thinking the same thing. We should be safe here for awhile if we're careful."

As Nikki splashed cold water on her face she couldn't help but be extremely mad at herself. She was tougher then this and she knew it. She didn't want the brothers to think she was weak. She knew better than to open a door without checking to see who it was first. Why had she done that? That was one mistake she would never let happen again. Tomorrow she would dig deeper into her research and find an answer. Before this was done she would prove just how tough she really was, both physically and mentally. There was one thing she was sure, she would never again be a victim.

When Nikki woke the next morning Kyle was already there with breakfast. He and Jason had the laptop open and were both deep in thought.  
"Good morning," Nikki said as she sat down at the table and picked up a bagel.  
"Good morning," they both said back without taking their eyes off the laptop.  
"Find something interesting?" Nikki asked as he took a bite of the bagel.  
"Take a look at this link someone sent us," Jason said as he slide the laptop over to Nikki. "It's about an old prophecy. It might be what we are looking for, but it doesn't make much sense to us. Maybe you can figure it out. You're better at deciphering this stuff then we are.  
"I'll take a look, but it may take a little while for me to break it down so we can understand it better." Nikki took a sip of her juice and looked around for a pad of paper and a pen.  
"Well, while you're looking into it I'm going to take a shower," Jason announced. Kyle will be outside the door tuning up the car. Let us know if you need anything."  
"Who sent this anyway?" Nikki asked curiously as she scanned the page.  
"I don't know, someone sent me the link to this site, but I can't figure out who. It's from an unknown yahoo email address. Jason said.  
"I wonder why? I mean if they thought it was important enough for us to read then why wouldn't they want us to know who they were?" Nikki questioned as she finally found a pen a paper.  
I agree," Jason responded. "It must be worth looking it if someone took that much care in sending it to us. Maybe someone knows why you were attacked and doesn't want to get involved in fear of retaliation from the demons."

Nikki began by reading the prophecy from start to finish. It didn't make much sense to her that way so she tried to break it down a little. This was defiantly a very old and complicated prophecy. It took her about two hours to even get a basic understanding of what it meant.  
"Find anything yet?" Kyle asked coming in from outside. They had just finished the tune up on the car.  
"Right now I can only tell you the basics of the prophecy. I still have to break it down some more to fully understand it." Nikki said.  
"Just tell us what you do know," Jason said anxiously.  
"Well so far from what I can understand it appears that about a hundred years ago a woman named Abigal Smith had a vision. In it she predicted that there would be born two chosen ones who when they worked together would be the downfall to all evil as we know it. There would also be born a protector who would keep them safe until they were able to fulfill their destiny. Right now that's all I can understand, but I'm working on it. Give me some more time and I can probably figure out the rest."

Nikki already had a feeling that this was exactly what the demon had been talking about. She wanted to be able to understand it all before she told them this. There were still too many questions and she wanted answers to them before she said anything.  
"Do you think this had anything to do with why you were attacked?" Kyle asked. "Does any of it sound familiar to you?"  
"I think we may be onto something, but to be sure I need more time to look into it. Do you think you could get me a soda? I have a feeling this is going to be a long day?"  
"Sure, I'll go and get some for all of us," Jason said.  
"And I'll be in my room," Kyle said as he got up. When they both had left, Kyle made sure to leave to door ajar so he could hear into Nikki's room.

Nikki continued to work on the prophecy so she could get a better understanding of it. She wanted to know who the chosen ones were supposed to born to. Then there was the protector, she would have to locate that one also. She really hoped that this was what they were looking for because if it wasn't she would have wasted all this time and energy on nothing. There were so many questions that need to be answered. Like did these three people know each other? Did they know what they were intended to do, and most importantly had they found each other yet?  
According to the prophecy they would be drawn to each other causing the protector to gain his or her abilities. After this he or she would be able to keep the chosen ones safe until they could fulfill their destinies. What Nikki couldn't understand was what this had to do with her and the brothers. It was when she read the last page that she began to understand the connection. It foretold of how to identify them. They would all have identical hexagon birthmarks on their left shoulders. As Nikki read this she could feel herself go numb.   
"It can't be," she whispered softly. It made no sense to her. She made her way over to the mirror that hung above the dresser and pulled her shirt down off of her shoulder. She was really confused now. She couldn't quite grasp what she had just learned. Could it be true she thought. Could she possibly be one of the protector, or one of the chosen ones, and if so who were the other two? Then she thought of the brothers, could it be them. She knew right then that she had to find out the truth and soon. She couldn't tell Jason and Kyle what she had just learned unity she could be sure it was them that the prophecy was about. They would think she was crazy if she went to them talking about gaining special abilities and saving the world. She herself thought it sounded crazy.   
It was then that she finally knew who had sent the email. It was John. It suddenly all began to make sense to her about why he was so insistent that she locate Kyle and Jason. He must have known the full meaning of the prophecy, but to get him to tell her the truth wouldn't be easy. She was going to have to confront him face to face. That was the only way to get the whole truth out of him.

Nikki knew that this meant she would have to leave the brothers. It would have to be when they were asleep so they wouldn't try to stop here, because she knew that all Jason would have to do was ask her not to go and she would give in. She didn't like having to leave, she felt like she was betraying them after all she had done for them. If this prophecy was meant what she thought it meant then the three of them needed to know the truth and soon. She would leave tonight after they were asleep. Hopefully she would be able to return soon with the truth about who they were and just what kind of part they played in this war.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Kyle pulled the Camaro into a run-down motel off of interstate 63 totally exhausted from all the driving. The last three days since the attack had been miserable for Nikki. They had checked out of the last motel as soon as Nikki had cleaned up. They figured it would be safer for them on the road. They had no idea if nay other demons knew where they were and they didn't want to take any chances.  
Nikki was lucky enough to have not had any broken bones, but by looking at her you could tell that she had been in a fight. The bruises on her were now a dark purple, and the cut on her lip still looked fresh. Being cooped up in the car wasn't helping anything either. She was glad she could finally take a long hot shower and sleep in a comfortable bed. Well as comfortable as motel beds got anyway. To make matters worse she had been having nightmares every night since the attack. She couldn't stop trying to figure out what the demon had been talking about. She had been going over it again and again in her mind, but she still couldn't understand it. The more she thought about it the worse her nightmares got. She finally had to insist that they stop for the night. She desperately needed to get out of the car for a while. She hoped that a change of scenery would help her clear her mind.  
Nikki waited outside with Jason while Kyle went into the motel office to check in. It felt good to stretch her legs. The Camaro was a large car, but not roomy enough.  
Kyle came out of the office with two room keys and handed Nikki one of them. "I got us adjoining rooms. Jason and I will take turns sleeping in the extra bed in your room."  
"I'll just stay with her, that way we don't have to keep moving our stuff back and forth." Jason said as he took his and Nikki's bags out of the trunk. "Is that okay with you?" he asked Nikki.  
Nikki opened the door to her room and walked inside. "I told you already that I would be fine on my own. Just leave me some salt so I can put it around the door and windows. The demons won't be able to get in even if they manage to find us here."  
"We already told you that until we figure out why the last demon attacked you one of us will be with you at all times. That means even at night." Jason put his bag on the bed closest to the door. ''We're not taking any chances. Now stop arguing with us and get used to it."  
"Fine!" Nikki said. She knew that there was no sense of arguing with them, she wasn't going to win anyway. That was the one thing she had learned over the last few months, that when they set their minds to do something they did it.  
"I'm starving," Nikki said as she started to unpack. "Are you guy’s hungry?"  
"I'm always hungry. You should know that," Kyle said. "I saw a diner on the way here, I'll go and grab something and we can eat here." Before Nikki could say that she wanted to go Kyle was out the door.  
"Wow, what was that? He couldn't get out of here fast enough," Nikki said, "He could of unpacked first."  
"I think he figured that if he waited you would want to go with him, and he wants you to lay low for a while." He doesn't want to take any chances until we know what we're up against."  
"Listen," Nikki said getting irritated. "Like I said before I…"  
"Stop right there," Jason demanded before she could finish. "You're not going anywhere until we know that you're safe. We're a team, and when that demon attacked you he attacked all of us."  
"I know. I just don't want to put you in any more danger than you already are in every day." Nikki said as she sat down at the table.  
"Are you kidding me? Danger is our middle name, and like I said before they started this and we're going to finish it. We need your help to do that though. When you start to remember what the demon said we can start to figure things out. So tomorrow we'll start to do some research on what you already remember. Also I think it would be a good idea for you to learn some self-defense. I know you can protect yourself, but there are certain ways to take down a demon and that's what you need to learn." Jason started to unpack himself. "You know we could probably teach each other some things."  
"You're joking right. Me, teach you something. That's funny."  
"Well to be honest, I'm a little jealous of how fast you can find information on the demons we hunt. We would never have learned that in order to kill that demon in Texas we needed to use a silver knife mixed with two different types of blood. It would have taken me weeks to find that out. It took you about an hour. So you teach me that and I'll teach you what I know."  
"I do know some self- defense, that demon just caught me off guard. It was the first time "I've ever come face to face with one. I've never had to actually fight one before. I do know how to do this however." and with one sudden movement of her foot she swept Jason off his feet and sent him crashing onto the bed.  
"That was pretty good," Jason said with a big grin on his face. "But can you do this?" Jason used his foot to side sweep Nikki causing her to fall onto the bed beside him, he then quickly pinned her down. Both Nikki and Jason started to laugh as they wrestled on the bed.

"I'm back," Kyle announced as he walked into the room with an armful of food. "It's nice to see you smile again." he said as he set the food on the table.  
"Shut up." Jason and Nikki said at the same time.  
"I was teaching her some self-defense." Jason said as he grabbed some fries from Kyle.  
"Well, the next time I meet a girl I'll be sure to show her that move." Kyle said making everyone laugh.

The food was pretty decent from what they were used to. The burgers were cooked just right and Nikki was surprised that Kyle had remembered how she liked hers. She didn't think he paid attention to things like that. They were all hungrier then they realized and the food was gone in minutes.  
"That was pretty good," Kyle said as he stood up "I'm going to unpack and get a goods night sleep. See you in the morning." he made sure to leave the adjoining door to their rooms open a little as he left.  
"A good night’s sleep sounds good, but a hot shower sounds even better." Nikki said as she got up. "Mind if I go first?" she asked Jason.  
"No, go ahead. I'll take mine in the morning." Jason said as he sat on the bed to take his shoes off. He didn't want to leave Nikki alone, even for the five minutes it would take him to finish a shower. He would wait till morning when Kyle could watch over her.

Jason woke to Nikki's piercing screams about 3am. He jumped out of bed and grabbed for his gun. As he reached for it he realized that Nikki was having another one of her nightmares, and by the sounds of it the worst one yet.  
She was still trembling when Kyle came running into the room with his gun drawn. "What happened?" he asked as he realized there was no danger.  
"She had another nightmare." Jason said concerned as he handed Nikki a glass of water.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Nikki said as she climbed out of bed still visibly shaken. "Excuse me. I just need to splash some cold water on my face. Nikki quickly walked into the bathroom and shut the door.  
"Wow!" Kyle quietly said after Nikki had shut the door. "These nightmares are getting worse. We defiantly need to find out what's going on.  
"I know, and tomorrow we'll start to figure out this whole mess out. There has to be a reason why they singled her out. It wasn't a random act. That demon waited for us to leave her alone. It had to have planned," Jason said.  
"I know I was thinking the same thing. We should be safe here for awhile if we're careful."

As Nikki splashed cold water on her face she couldn't help but be extremely mad at herself. She was tougher then this and she knew it. She didn't want the brothers to think she was weak. She knew better than to open a door without checking to see who it was first. Why had she done that? That was one mistake she would never let happen again. Tomorrow she would dig deeper into her research and find an answer. Before this was done she would prove just how tough she really was, both physically and mentally. There was one thing she was sure, she would never again be a victim.

When Nikki woke the next morning Kyle was already there with breakfast. He and Jason had the laptop open and were both deep in thought.  
"Good morning," Nikki said as she sat down at the table and picked up a bagel.  
"Good morning," they both said back without taking their eyes off the laptop.  
"Find something interesting?" Nikki asked as he took a bite of the bagel.  
"Take a look at this link someone sent us," Jason said as he slide the laptop over to Nikki. "It's about an old prophecy. It might be what we are looking for, but it doesn't make much sense to us. Maybe you can figure it out. You're better at deciphering this stuff then we are.  
"I'll take a look, but it may take a little while for me to break it down so we can understand it better." Nikki took a sip of her juice and looked around for a pad of paper and a pen.  
"Well, while you're looking into it I'm going to take a shower," Jason announced. Kyle will be outside the door tuning up the car. Let us know if you need anything."  
"Who sent this anyway?" Nikki asked curiously as she scanned the page.  
"I don't know, someone sent me the link to this site, but I can't figure out who. It's from an unknown yahoo email address. Jason said.  
"I wonder why? I mean if they thought it was important enough for us to read then why wouldn't they want us to know who they were?" Nikki questioned as she finally found a pen a paper.  
I agree," Jason responded. "It must be worth looking it if someone took that much care in sending it to us. Maybe someone knows why you were attacked and doesn't want to get involved in fear of retaliation from the demons."

Nikki began by reading the prophecy from start to finish. It didn't make much sense to her that way so she tried to break it down a little. This was defiantly a very old and complicated prophecy. It took her about two hours to even get a basic understanding of what it meant.  
"Find anything yet?" Kyle asked coming in from outside. They had just finished the tune up on the car.  
"Right now I can only tell you the basics of the prophecy. I still have to break it down some more to fully understand it." Nikki said.  
"Just tell us what you do know," Jason said anxiously.  
"Well so far from what I can understand it appears that about a hundred years ago a woman named Abigal Smith had a vision. In it she predicted that there would be born two chosen ones who when they worked together would be the downfall to all evil as we know it. There would also be born a protector who would keep them safe until they were able to fulfill their destiny. Right now that's all I can understand, but I'm working on it. Give me some more time and I can probably figure out the rest."

Nikki already had a feeling that this was exactly what the demon had been talking about. She wanted to be able to understand it all before she told them this. There were still too many questions and she wanted answers to them before she said anything.  
"Do you think this had anything to do with why you were attacked?" Kyle asked. "Does any of it sound familiar to you?"  
"I think we may be onto something, but to be sure I need more time to look into it. Do you think you could get me a soda? I have a feeling this is going to be a long day?"  
"Sure, I'll go and get some for all of us," Jason said.  
"And I'll be in my room," Kyle said as he got up. When they both had left, Kyle made sure to leave to door ajar so he could hear into Nikki's room.

Nikki continued to work on the prophecy so she could get a better understanding of it. She wanted to know who the chosen ones were supposed to born to. Then there was the protector, she would have to locate that one also. She really hoped that this was what they were looking for because if it wasn't she would have wasted all this time and energy on nothing. There were so many questions that need to be answered. Like did these three people know each other? Did they know what they were intended to do, and most importantly had they found each other yet?  
According to the prophecy they would be drawn to each other causing the protector to gain his or her abilities. After this he or she would be able to keep the chosen ones safe until they could fulfill their destinies. What Nikki couldn't understand was what this had to do with her and the brothers. It was when she read the last page that she began to understand the connection. It foretold of how to identify them. They would all have identical hexagon birthmarks on their left shoulders. As Nikki read this she could feel herself go numb.   
"It can't be," she whispered softly. It made no sense to her. She made her way over to the mirror that hung above the dresser and pulled her shirt down off of her shoulder. She was really confused now. She couldn't quite grasp what she had just learned. Could it be true she thought. Could she possibly be one of the protector, or one of the chosen ones, and if so who were the other two? Then she thought of the brothers, could it be them. She knew right then that she had to find out the truth and soon. She couldn't tell Jason and Kyle what she had just learned unity she could be sure it was them that the prophecy was about. They would think she was crazy if she went to them talking about gaining special abilities and saving the world. She herself thought it sounded crazy.   
It was then that she finally knew who had sent the email. It was John. It suddenly all began to make sense to her about why he was so insistent that she locate Kyle and Jason. He must have known the full meaning of the prophecy, but to get him to tell her the truth wouldn't be easy. She was going to have to confront him face to face. That was the only way to get the whole truth out of him.

Nikki knew that this meant she would have to leave the brothers. It would have to be when they were asleep so they wouldn't try yo stop here, because she knew that all Jason would have to do was ask her not to go and she would give in. She didn't like having to leave, she felt like she was betraying them after all she had done for them. If this prophecy was meant what she thought it meant then the three of them needed to know the truth and soon. She would leave tonight after they were asleep. Hopefully she would be able to return soon with the truth about who they were and just what kind of part they played in this war.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Nikki felt like it took Jason and Kyle forever to go to bed that night. She had told them she was still trying to make sense of the prophecy. She didn't want them to know the truth yet. She was still confused about some things herself and she thought it was best to keep them in the dark a little but longer.  
As the time to leave got closer Nikki couldn't help but feel like she was deceiving them. After they had welcomed her into the group so easily and had protected her after the attack. But she needed answers. There were so many questions she needed answers to and the only person who could help her was John.  
After Kyle had left for his room and Jason had fallen asleep Nikki quietly slipped out of bed and packed her things. She had known that leaving was going to be hard, but each time she glanced over at Jason to make sure he was still asleep she desperately wanted to stay. She knew she had fallen in love with him, but she had kept quite for fear of him not feeling the same. Each time he had touched her since that night in the bar she couldn't help but remember that kiss and how it felt when his lips had touched hers. She had planned on telling him when this ordeal was over. That way if he didn't feel the same she could leave. But how could she leave now if this prophecy was truly about them. It would change everything. She would have no choice but to stay. To endure seeing Jason with other women when she herself wanted his arms around her, to hear him tell her that he loved her. Was this something she could handle? She wasn't sure, but if it ended up that she was one of the three then she would have no choice.  
As she laid the note she had written them on the pillow beside Jason she couldn't help but touch his cheek. She knew she would return with the answers they all needed, but would they forgive her when she did. Would they ever be able to trust her again, she hoped so. So after one last glance at Jason and a quick look into Kyle's room to make sure he was still asleep she slipped out the door and made her way to the bus station.

When Jason woke the next morning the first thing he noticed was that Nikki's bed was empty. He looked toward the bathroom to see if she was in there, but when he saw the door open he immediately scanned the rest of the room for her. Seeing that she wasn't there he jumped out of bed and was just about to call Kyle when he noticed the note. As he read it his heart dropped as he read it.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Kyle asked.  
"All she left was this note." Jason handed Kyle the note so he could read it.  
Kyle took the note and read it out loud causing Jason to relive to disbelief he had felt the first time he had read it.

Jason and Kyle,  
I am sorry to leave you like this. You both have helped me in ways   
you’ll never know, but there are things about me that I must figure out  
before I can continue to let you put yourselves in danger for me. I hope   
I can get the answers that I am looking for soon and that you both can   
forgive me. Please don’t try to find me, just know that I am being careful  
and will be safe where I am going.  
Love, Nikki

 

"I don't get it," Kyle exclaimed. "Why would she leave? She knows she's being hunted. Her life is in danger.  
"I know, but I think she feels guilty about bringing us into this. What I don't understand is why she waited until now to leave. She had plenty of chances before. She was fine until she started looking into that prophecy. We have to find her!" Jason cried out as he started for the door. He couldn't help but feel as though part of this was his fault. He had promised her that he would protect her. How could he have let her slip away? If anything happened to her he would never forgive himself.  
"Wait a minute!" Kyle demanded stepping in front of the door so Jason couldn't leave. "She said not to follow her. That she just needed some time."  
"I know what she said, but she's not safe and I promised her that I would keep her safe, no matter what it took." Jason ran his hand through his hair trying to keep his temper in check. There was no way he was going to let Kyle keep him from finding her.  
"I understand that, but we don't even know where she is or where she's heading. How can we track her? Besides are you there's not another reason you want to find her so badly?"   
"What are you talking about? I told you I promised to keep her safe and i intend on doing just that."  
Jason knew what Kyle was hinting at, but he wasn't ready to admit that he had fallen in love with Nikki yet. Just one thought of her being out there by herself in so much danger was killing him. He knew that if had been that night in the bar when he had fallen in love with her. He just wasn't ready to admit it to himself until he had seen what that demon had done to her. When he had come into the room and seen her up against the wall with her face all bloody he had felt an anger in him that he had never felt before. Even in all his years of hunting. If the demons gun hadn't backfired and killed him he would have done it with his own bare hands. It was then he had made a promise to himself to never let her get hurt again. He would give his own life before he would let it happen. He knew he had to find her so he could keep that promise, and when he did find her he would make sure to tell her how he felt.  
"You're right, I think she's in more danger then she knows and whether we like it or not we're going to help her. But first we have to find her. You were closer to her, do you have any idea where she would have gone." Kyle asked Jason as he himself tried to think about where she might be.  
"I do have one idea, let's go." Jason grabbed his bag and started to pack. He prayed that he was right and they would find her safe.  
"I'll go and get my stuff and meet you in the car." Kyle said as he started for his room.

Jason knew that there was only one person that Nikki would trust enough to help her out in this kind of situation, John. She had never mentioned anyone else besides her dad, and he was dead. So that's where they would start their search for her. Finding her before the demons did was his first priority. Over these last few months they had formed a close bond, which was why he couldn't understand why she would leave. It must have been something extremely important. But she knew she could trust them with her life, so why leave?   
"So where are we going?" Kyle asked snapping Jason out of his thoughts.  
"I believe she would go to John's. I can't think of anyone else she would trust. Can you?" Jason asked as he dialed Nikki's number again. He kept getting her voice mail so he knew she was avoiding his calls.   
"Why would she go there, she must know we would look for her there first." Kyle pointed out as he turned onto RT. 54 which would take them to John's cabin in the woods.  
"You're right, she would think that he would be the first person we would check with. What I don't think is that she would assume we would show up there. I can't believe she actually thought we wouldn't try and find her. I mean come on she knows her life is in danger and we would do anything to help her. She's one of us now.  
"Let's just get to the cabin so John can help us. He has to know where she would go." Kyle did agree with Jason on one thing, Nikki was one of them. She had proved herself time and time again by helping them on their hunts. They couldn't and wouldn't leave her to fend for herself. Besides Kyle knew that it was rare for a hunter to find love, especially with another hunter. Not many people understood what they did or even believed that demons existed. He could tell that Jason had come to care for Nikki. Just by the way he would look at her gave him away. He wasn't like that with any other girl, and if she was the one person who could make his brother truly happy then she was worth finding and convincing to come back with them.

****

The bus ride to John's was long and tiresome, mainly because Nikki couldn't sleep. She kept looking around to make sure no one was taking any kind of special interest in her. If she was attacked again she wanted to know it was coming. She knew that Jason had found the note by now and hoped they weren't looking for her. But by the way her cell kept ringing she knew they were. She wanted to answer it, even if it was to just hear if voice. She knew that if she did talk to him then she would turn around and go back. All it would take was for him to ask her to come back. She would do anything he asked of her, and she needed to find out the truth before she could face them again.  
John had no idea she was coming and she wanted to keep it that way. He would be angry that she had left the brothers and traveled by herself. Especially with the demons hunting her, but she knew that he wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to know if they were with her.  
As she knocked on John's door her cell phone rang again. This time it was Kyle. It was killing her to ignore their calls. After all they still wanted to protect her after she had deserted them.  
"Who is it?" she heard John yell as he got closer to the door.  
"It's Nikki. I need to talk to you," She hollered back.  
As John opened the door he looked surprised that she was alone. "Where are Kyle and Jason? Please tell me you didn't come here without them."  
"I think you know why I'm here, and yes I'm alone," Nikki snapped as she pushed pass John and stepped inside the house. "You know full well why I'm here. I want to know everything about that prophecy and just how I'm connected to it."  
"I knew that sooner or later we'd be having this conversation. I just hope that you’re ready to hear what I have to say. Do Jason and Kyle know anything about this?" John asked as he closed the door taking care to lock it behind him.  
"No, I haven't told them what I found out. I'm not even sure what it all means, and I didn't want to drag them into it yet. They've done so much for me already. I don't want to put them in anymore danger then they need to be in. If this involves them then I'll tell them." Nikki plopped down on the couch and looked John straight in the face. "I want to know now!"  
"Well they're already more involved than you think." John sank into the chair across from Nikki and took a deep breath. "I take it you've already figured out the part about you in the prophecy, but you’re still not sure who the chosen ones are. You're in for a big shock. I was hoping you would figure this out on your own. That's why I sent you to find the brothers in the first place. Even after you were attacked and you saved Jason from that bullet I was sure you would catch on. But you didn't, you thought the gun backfired. That's why I sent you the link to the prophecy. I had hoped that after you read it you would figure it out, but I can tell by you showing up here alone that you still have questions." John paused for a moment to let Nikki think about what he had just told her. Then he started again. It was when you were a little girl that your father learned of who you were intended to become He knew the moment your birthmark appeared at age two. The real question then was who the chosen ones were. Until he could figure that out he knew that he had to keep it from you while teaching you how to protect yourself and all about the evil in this world. He wanted to protect you until he thought you could handle knowing the truth about who you were born to become. But he died before he could do that. So I took you in so I could continue to keep you safe while I carried on the research to find the chosen ones. I studied family trees in hopes of locating them so I could unite you so you could start to fulfill the prophecy. I was able to figure out that the chosen ones were brothers."  
Nikki suddenly realized that she was right, it was the brothers who were the chosen ones. How in the world was she going to explain this to them, she wasn't even sure if she believed it herself.  
"How am I supposed to protect them, I mean I'm not exactly superwomen. You heard what that demon did to me," Nikki exclaimed.  
"Well that's the part you're going to have a hard time believing. In order to protect them you will develop immense powers. The more bonded you are to them the stronger you will be."  
"I don't have any powers. So how can I be the protector?"  
"In order for your powers to manifest you must first form bond with each other. Then and only then will your powers emerge. But from what I've heard about the night you were attacked I believe that you are already coming into your powers."  
"Why didn't you just tell us who we were? Why all the secrets." Nikki asked still trying to grasp what she had just been told.  
"It’s because none of you were ready to hear the truth. If I had told you who you were then you wouldn't have been able to form the bond that was necessary. I don't think any of you would have truly believed me. It was crucial that you became friends and learned to trust each other completely before you learned your destinies. From what I can tell, you have already formed that bond. They trust you and you trust them. I believe that's how you saved Jason from that bullet.  
Nikki was about to ask John another question when the doorbell rang. As he got up to answer it Nikki finally began to understand why John kept saying that she had saved Jason. The gun hadn't back fired, she had somehow deflected the bullet away from them and caused it to hit the demon instead. Nikki couldn't help but try and remember if anything else strange had happened while she was around these last few months.  
"Dame it,” John muttered as he looked through the peep hole in the door.   
"What's wrong?" Nikki asked as she rose up off the couch.  
John twirled around and shot Nikki a look that told her who it was.   
"Jason and Kyle," she said half aloud as she started for the door.  
"No, stop. They can't know you're here. They're not ready to know the truth yet. You have to hide."  
"Why? If I know the truth then it's time they know the truth.  
"Just trust me." John pleaded "Now go and hide."  
Nikki reluctantly picked up her bag and retreated from the room. She made sure to stay within earshot so she could hear what was being said.  
John walked back over to the door and hesitated for a minute. He knew why they were here, but he still had to act surprised when he opened the door. The last thing wanted was for them to find Nikki.   
"What are you guys doing here?" John asked as he opened the door. He hoped that Nikki had hidden herself well.  
"I think you know why we're here!" Jason growled as he shoved his way into the house. "Where is she?" he demanded as scanned the living room for any sign of Nikki having been there.  
"Where's who, there's no one here right now but me, and where is Nikki." John asked as he looked out the door as if he was half expecting Nikki to come walking up the pathway.  
"Nikki took off last night, and we're worried about her. This is the only place we can think of that she would go." Kyle replied as he slumped into a chair by the window.  
"No, I haven't. She didn't say where she was going? She must have given you a reason why she left. She wouldn't just take off for no reason at all." John closed the door and walked joined the brothers in the living room.  
"She just left us a note saying she needed to figure some things out and that she didn't want to put us in any more danger." Jason suddenly got a feeling that Nikki was very close by, and he glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen.  
"If I hear form her I'll be sure to let you know first thing. Try not to worry, I've known her for a very long time and she can take care of herself." John hoped that the brothers would believe him and leave to continue their search elsewhere.  
"If you don't mind we'd like to spend the night in case she shows up. I don't think she knows how much danger she's in, and she's not answering her cell," Jason said as he stifled a yawn as he sank into the couch even deeper.  
"I guess that's okay, you can take the first two rooms at the top of the stairs." John made no attempt to change their minds. He knew that this would make them suspicious of him. He would just have to keep Nikki hidden for the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

Nikki couldn't believe that they had come after her so quickly. She had hoped that they would let her figure things out on her own. But she knew better, she had known they would look for her. They had become like family over these last few months. She had hoped at least that they wouldn't look her right away.  
She liked being with Jason and Kyle. She had been so depressed ever since her father had been killed. That was until she had met the brothers. They were great. She enjoyed their company and didn't feel so alone anymore. She also knew that she had fallen for Jason, but that could create a whole different batch of problems that she didn't even want to think about. She was afraid that if she told him how she felt that things would change between them and she didn't want that. So she had kept quite even though it was killing her to do so. Every time he was near her she wanted him to hold her, and to reassure her that things would work out between them. Then there was Kyle, would he even approve of a relationship between her and Jason? She didn't know why she was so worried about all of it? She didn't even know how Jason felt about her. She did know that he cared for her, but just how much he cared was the question.   
Now things were getting even more complicated because she knew that she needed to stay with them no matter what, so she couldn't tell him how she felt in case he didn't feel the same. She knew that there were more important things in this world besides her happiness.  
As she eavesdropped on the conversation between the guys, she couldn't help but be happy that Jason and Kyle had cared enough to come after her the way that they had. They were really worried about her, especially Jason. She had never seen him so worked up about anything. He seemed truly upset she had left and put herself in even more danger. She couldn't help but wonder if he cared for her as much as she had cared for him? Nikki refused to let that thought stay in her head. If the answer was no then she would be devastated and she couldn't let her emotions stand in the way. Her first priority was to prepare them to learn the truth.

"Are you hungry? I can make some sandwiches." John suggested to Jason and Kyle. He wanted an excuse to be able to talk to Nikki for a minute and get her hidden.  
"Sounds good to me," Jason said as his stomach growled. "We haven't eaten since breakfast." He still couldn't shake the feeling that Nikki was close by. It was as if he could smell her perfume on the couch. But that was crazy if she was here why wouldn't she let them know?

John entered the kitchen to make the sandwiches and signaled for Nikki to follow him. When they were safely in the kitchen he closed the swinging door behind him so they wouldn't be overheard.  
"Why would you tell them they could spend the night? Nikki demanded as soon as the door was shut. "They can't know I'm here. We need to figure things out."   
"I had no choice. If I had told them no they would have gotten suspicious. They would have figured out that you were here, or that I knew where you were. I have a bad feeling that Jason senses that your here, and keeps glancing around the room. Let me talk to them tonight, and try and get them ready to know the truth.  
"Just where am I supposed to go? I can't stay here if they are." Nikki maneuvered herself into area of the kitchen where she could easily slip out of sight if one of the brothers happened to come in.  
"Out back is a small cabin, it's totally demon proof. There's no way anyone can get in there even if they tried. Hide in there until they leave in the morning. It's stocked with everything you'll need. You'll be safe and out of sight." John pointed to a key hanging on the wall as he picked up a tray with the sandwiches on it. "And Nikki, try not to let them see you going out there." 

As Nikki slipped out the back door she couldn't help but start to feel guilty again. The brothers had been nothing but nice to her. They had excepted her without any questions asked, and had protected her at her weakest moment. They had a right to know what was going on. They should be figuring this out together. That's what they did, they were best when they worked together as a team. But until she could talk to John again she decided it was best to stay hidden. Maybe he could find out some information tonight that would enable her to tell them the truth in the morning.  
When she walked into the cabin she noticed that it was in fact well stocked. This must be where John intended to hide if any demons attacked. There were anti-demon symbols at every entrance that would instantly trap them if they somehow managed to get in. The walls of the cabin were lined with shelves of books that were filled with books on all types of demons, prophecies, folklore, and urban legends. She could defiantly pass the time here tonight. As she flipped through the pages of one of the books she began to wonder why in all the time she had spent her with her dad had she not noticed this cabin. From the outside it only looked like an old shack, but inside it was a totally a different place. It looked as though it had just been built. She wondered if this had been John's intention so nobody would ask about what he kept in the cabin. As she put the book back on the shelf she noticed a paper on a big oak desk with an ancestral tree detailed. It looked interesting so she sat down and started to study it. They had been born on the same day and year as she had, May 12, 1991. This must be where John did all his research, that way if anybody visited the main house they wouldn't see his many books and the demon hunting objects.  
When Nikki got up from the desk she noticed two figures getting into Kyle's Camaro. They must have decided to leave tonight, she thought to herself. So she left the cabin and started toward the house to finish her talk with John. As she entered the house she heard the shower running and thought John must be in it so she started up the stairs to her old room to wait until he was done. She had just gotten to the top step when the water turned off. A second later Jason emerged from the bathroom towel drying his hair. Nikki quickly ducked into the nearest open door, which she suddenly realized was the room Jason had chosen to stay in. There was no way she could get out without him seeing her so she hid in the closet. It was one of those closets that had slits so she could see out but he wouldn't be able to see in. She hoped that he didn't decide to hang any of his clothes up because he would find her. She knew she would never be able to explain why she was hiding from them. Luckily he began to pull the covers down on the bed. She breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed in. She sat down on the floor to wait until he fell asleep so she could sneak out.

****

Jason still couldn't believe that Nikki had left and had actually expected them not to look for her. Like that would ever happen. She was in danger and until they knew why she was being hunted she needed their protection whether she wanted it or not. That was why he was having such a hard time excepting that she had left. The note she had left was vague. What could she have to find out about herself that they couldn't help her with? He had this feeling that he needed to find her and soon. He knew that he would regret it if he never got the chance to tell her how he felt. He should have told her that night in the bar. When she had kissed him it had stirred feelings in him that he didn't know he had.   
His head was beginning to hurt from all the stress of the day so he had decided not to go out with Kyle and John. All he wanted to do was get some rest and then maybe he could figure out where Nikki had gone. He was so sure that she would have come here, but there was no sign of her. In all the time they had spent together she must have mentioned somewhere else she would go. Maybe after he got some rest he could remember, so he dug out his sleeping pills. He knew without them he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. His mind was racing with possible places Nikki could be. He hated taking the pills because they would put him into such a deep sleep and he was sometimes known to sleep walk after taking them. But tonight he had no choice so he popped one in his mouth and swallowed it.

Nikki waited about an hour before she decided that Jason was in a deep enough sleep so she could sneak out. As she looked at Jason asleep she couldn't help but stare at him for a minute. She wanted so badly to wake him up and tell him she was there and safe. She couldn’t help but make her way to the side of his bed and gently touch his cheek. It had only been a day since she had left and she already missed him. As she grazed his cheek with her hand he turned over and opened his eyes. She thought she had blown it when she noticed the glazed look in his eyes. He still must be asleep she thought. He must have taken a sleeping pill. She knew what they did to him. He had taken one before and had ended up sleep walking to her room. It had taken her and Kyle over an hour to get him back into his own bed.  
Jason suddenly sprang up and grabbed Nikki's arm. "Nikki is that you?" he asked as he kissed her hand.   
For a brief moment she Nikki was frozen. "Yes, it's me." She finally managed to say.  
"Thank god, I was so worried about you. Don't ever leave me like that again," Jason said as he got up and pulled Nikki into his arms.  
Nikki couldn't resist and flung her arms around his neck and hugged him back. Just having his arms around her made her go weak in the knees, but she knew it couldn't last. She had to get out of there before he woke up and realized he wasn't dreaming. She tried to pull away, but he drew her back into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips.   
"I've wanted to do that for so long now but never had the courage." Jason whispered in her ear as he kissed her neck.  
Nikki couldn't believe what she was hearing. He did love her. She couldn't help but be ecstatic about that.  
"I could never hate you. I love you too much to ever hate you." Nikki assured him as she guided him back to bed. She had to get him back to sleep and get out of the house before Kyle and John returned.   
As Jason sat down on the edge of the bed he pulled Nikki down beside him and wrapped his arms around her. "Stay her he with me tonight." he pleaded as he laid down and gently pulled her down with him so she was cradled in is arms.  
Nikki tried to sit up again but Jason had his arms tightly around her.  
"I'm not letting you out of my sight." he whispered into her ear as he caressed her cheek with his free hand.  
As they lay there wrapped in each others arms, Jason leaned over her and kissed her once again then told her he loved her again. "I love you too." Nikki replied as she laid her head on his chest and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her.

Nikki woke to the sound of Kyle and John returning from the bar. She quickly climbed out of bed listened for them to close their bedroom doors. Then she made her way down the stairs and out the back door to the cabin. She knew that in the morning she would have to tell Jason and Kyle the truth about their destinies. She wasn't going to keep it from her anymore. They both deserved to know the truth, and no matter what John said she was going to tell them!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

Jason woke the next morning to a pillow being thrown at him. "Are you gonna sleep all day." he heard Kyle say. "It's nine o'clock already.  
Jason slowly rolled over and half expected to see Nikki laying beside him. "Wow, what a night," Jason exclaimed "I had one hell of a dream and I could swear it was real. I'm never taking those pills again." Jason rolled over and picked up the container of pills and chucked them in the garbage.  
"You should know better, you know what they do to you." Kyle pulled the curtains open blinding Jason with the bright light. "The last time it took Nikki and me an hour to get you back in bed."  
Jason cover his face with the pillow, as he breathed in he could swear the pillow smelled just like Nikki.  
"What was the dream about this time?" Kyle had a smirk on his face that told Jason it would be better if he kept his dream to himself.  
"You don't want to know. " he muttered as he got out of bed. He knew that if he told Kyle what it had been about he would never live it down. Kyle was already pushing him to admit that he had feelings for Nikki, and he knew that in Kyle's mind this would prove he was right. But dame, it was so real. He could swear by the scent on his pillow that she had been there, that he had held her in his arms, and that she had told him that she loved him. He knew that this was impossible that if she had been there she would have stayed. This made him even more determined to find her.   
"It must have been quite a dream for if you won't tell me about it, but enough about you. We have business to get to. Did you come up with any more ideas on where Nikki could have gone? John still hasn't heard from her.  
"No, the only thing I can think of is that maybe she went back to her hometown. That's the only other place I can remember her ever talking about, and that was only once.  
"Well then that's where we start. Get dressed and meet me down stairs. The sooner we hit the road the better." 

****

Nikki woke up determined to tell Jason and Kyle the truth. She wasn't going to let John talk her out of it. They had a right to know, she just hoped they would forgive her. She hoped that Jason wouldn't remember last night. She didn't want to have to explain why she hadn't tried to wake him.  
She walked through the back door of the house to see John sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning newspaper. He looked up as she came through the door but didn't say anything to her.  
"Good morning," Nikki said as she poured herself a cup a juice. She wondered why he hadn't yelled at her for not making sure the brothers weren't there first.  
"Good morning," replied. "How did you sleep last night?"  
Nikki couldn't believe that he was actually trying to engage her in small talk. There were more important things to discuss. "Where are the Jason and Kyle?" she looked into the living room to see if they were in there. She was ready to argue over whether they should tell the guys the truth or not. She had enough with keeping secrets. If the prophecy was true then they needed to know so they could start to fulfill it, and before the demons attacked again.  
John got up from the table and put his cup in the sink. "They're gone, they left about a half an hour ago to look for you." John seemed happy about this and it made her mad.  
"What do you mean they're gone? You have to call them and tell them to come back. I need to talk to them. It's time they know the whole truth." Nikki couldn't believe that John had let the brothers leave.  
"I tried to convince them to stay while they tried to locate you, but they wouldn't listen. They said they thought you might be heading toward your home town. Nothing I said would have made them stay." John sat back down at the table and folded the paper up. "Funny thing is, before they left Jason mentioned something about a dream he had last night and how he could have sworn you were here. Were you in the house last night?"  
Nikki now knew why John had let them leave. He wanted to question her about last night, about her feelings for Jason. "Yes, I saw their car pull out of the driveway and thought they had decided to leave so I came back to talk to you. As I was looking for you Jason came out of the bathroom. Luckily I was able to duck into one of the rooms and hide in the closet before he saw me. It was his room that I had went in, so I had to wait till he fell asleep before I could leave. When I tried to sneak past him he woke up and saw me." Nikki decided it was best to leave it at that. It was none of John's business what happened between Jason and herself.

"Thing is, Kyle managed to get Jason to tell us about his dream. Is it true, did you tell him you loved him, because I can tell he is head over heels in love with you!" John ran his hand through his hair. "This could complicate things Nikki, you have to stop it now."  
Nikki glared at John, "You don't think I know it complicates things, but I can't help how I feel. I love him, and I won't just hide that from him. If he asks me how I feel I'll tell him. I've lost so much, and I won't lose Jason too. If he decides that he wants to give us a shot then I'm all in."  
"Fine, but just remember who you are and that your first priority is to protect BOTH of them. So I guess it's time we tell them just who they are." John reached for the phone. "I'll call them and tell them you're here."  
Just as John picked up the receiver the front door swung open and a demon burst in. Nikki turned toward the door and gasped.   
"Well well, look who I found," the demon said as his eyes turned as black as coal. He walked toward Nikki who took a step backwards. "I've been looking for you ever since you killed my brother in that Motel. I couldn't believe it when he called and told me he had found you. I instructed him to wait until I got there to confront you, but he insisted that he could handle you."  
"He deserved to die!" John yelled as he reached for his gun.  
"You have nothing to do with this old man." The demon raised his hand and John went flying into the closet and the door slammed shut.  
"How did you find me?" Nikki asked. They thought they had covered their tracks when they had checked out of the motel.  
"You know, it's really all your fault that I was able to track you. When I realized you were gone I asked the desk clerk if he knew where you. Of course he wouldn't tell me until I used a little force. Then he told me everything I needed to know. Not many people in your line of work would use their real name while registering for a room.

Nikki's heart sank. How could she have been so stupid. She had seen the brothers use alias all the time. But she had figured that since all she did was the grunt work that nobody would ever look for her. Boy had she been wrong, and now she was going to pay for it.  
"You should have known better." the demon just smirked at Nikki. "Once I had that information it was easy to look into your past and locate you. This was the most likely place you would have gone. It wasn't until after we figured that out that we found out who you were traveling with. What I can't understand though is why you would leave them unprotected. You must have known that without you they were vulnerable. So to make sure that they job got done the right way this time I have sent double the man power to take care of them. As for you, you won't be alive long enough to even warn them!" He raised he hand once again and sent a bolt of energy toward Nikki, but she jumped out of the way and it hit the wall instead.  
"Is that all you got?" Nikki asked. She could feel something beginning to change inside her. It was like she had known all her life who she was and she somehow had complete control over her now fully emerged powers. She knew exactly what she was capable of.  
"You know," the demon said as he circled the room to try and get a better shot at Nikki. "My friends are really looking forward to finding you friends and killing them. They've caused my kind nothing but trouble, and we intend on making them suffer a great deal to make up for it." he raised his hand again and sent another bolt of energy toward Nikki who deflected it and sent it back toward the demon hitting him in the arm.  
"I won't let you hurt them!" Nikki said angrily as she sent her own bolt of energy at the demon to make sure he knew she meant business.  
"Well look who learned how to use her powers, but if that's all you've got I feel sorry for you," the demon raised an arm chair into the air and hurled it at Nikki who deflected it back at missed the demon by inches.  
"What makes you think you can handle me, your brother couldn't and look what happened to him. Now, I'm only going to tell you this once. Get on your phone and call off the search for the brothers. As I said before I won't let you harm them." Nikki walked closer to the demon to show him that she wasn't scared of him. "I won't give you another chance, Call them now." Nikki demanded.  
"Are you kidding me? I would never do that. Besides even if I did they wouldn't listen. This has been coming for a long time and nothing can stop it now." the demon took a step backwards toward the door. "I'll tell you what though, you let me go and I'll stop them from hurting your friends."  
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Nikki retorted. "And by the way, times up." Nikki sent a bolt of energy straight at the demon killing him instantly. "I warned you." she said as she stepped over him to let John out of the closet.

"Are you okay?" John asked as Nikki opened the door. "What happened?" he asked looking at the dead demon.  
"Never mind," Nikki snapped. "Just give me the keys to your car, we have to find the brothers and fast. According to Mr. Crispy here they have a pack of demons on their tail who only have one thing in mind, and that's to kill them before I can reunite with them." Nikki grabbed the keys from John and ran out the door. "Are you coming?" She yelled back over her shoulder as she climbed behind the wheel.  
"I'm not letting you do this alone.” John declared as he climbed in the passenger seat.  
"You better try and reach them on their cells to let them know about the demons." Nikki advised as she spun out of the drive way in search of the brothers.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

Nikki knew she needed to catch up with Jason and Kyle and quickly. They couldn't be that far ahead of her. They had only had about a half hour head start. She was still trying to wrap her head around what she had just done. It was like someone had turned on a switch in her and she somehow knew how to control her new abilities. It was like the angrier that demon had made her the more powerful she became. It was all becoming clearer to her, her place in this war was to protect Jason and Kyle and she was going to do it no matter what it took. But first she had to find them.  
"I can't reach them," John said. "It keeps saying their numbers are disconnected."  
"We all had to get new phones and numbers. After I was attacked we figured it was safer that way. We weren't sure how long they had been following us or even how they had found us so we were playing it safe. Here, use mine." Nikki reached into her pocket to get her cell phone when she realized she didn't have it. "Dame it, I forgot it at the house. I ran out so fast that I forgot I didn't have it on me. Without it I don't know their numbers. They're new and I haven't had time to memorize them yet."  
"We better hope that we can catch them then," John said as he stared out the window.

****

Kyle passed the sign that read welcome to Jonesboro Georgia. He hoped that this was where Nikki was and that they could find her. This was their last hope. If she wasn't here they had no idea where else she would have gone. They would have to abandon the search for her and he knew that would upset Jason. He hadn't said a word since they had left John's, and he knew that he was thinking about Nikki. They had to find her before the next demon did, or Jason would never forgive himself.   
As they pulled into the nearest diner neither of them noticed that they were being watched. From the moment they had crossed the state line they had been spotted and word of their arrival had spread quickly. The town had been on high alert that the Samuel’s were possibly on their way and to be ready if they showed up. The demons knew that killing them wouldn't be easy. They would have to set a trap and catch them off guard.

"Do you have any idea where she used to live?" Kyle asked Jason as they climbed out of the car.  
"No, I just remember her saying that this was where she lived. She never went into detail about anything else. I guess we'll just have to ask around and hope someone has seen her."  
As they walked into the diner and took a seat at the nearest table both Kyle and Jason both felt like they had interrupted something. The conversation stopped the moment they walked in and most of the people were now whispering back and forth.  
"I hope this isn't how they always act when outsiders arrive in town." Jason whispered to Kyle as he looked over the menu.  
"I know, but let's just concentrate on finding Nikki and get out of here."

"Can I get you two anything?" The waitress asked as if she was in a rush.  
Jason gave Kyle a look that made him smirk. "Just two cokes please." he ordered.  
"So," Jason asked as he handed the waitress his menu. "How long have you lived in this town?"  
"All my life," she responded in an icy tone. "Why?"  
"Well, we were actually looking for someone who used to live here. We were hoping she came back here for a visit and that we could catch up with her." Kyle got the impression that this waitress wasn't happy about being bothered by anything but taking their order so he slid a fifty into her hand as he gave her his menu.  
"Her name is Nikki Philips. Have you seen her." Jason asked hesitantly.  
The waitress looked at the fifty that Kyle and slipped her and suddenly perked up. "I haven't seen her, but give me a minute I'll ask around to see if anyone has seen or heard of her being in town." she spun on her heels and quickly retreated to question the other diners.  
They watched as she talked to a few of the other people in the diner who then talked to each other. Both Jason and Kyle couldn't help but feel as though something wasn't right in this town. They knew that this was their last hope of finding Nikki so they just shrugged it off and waited to see if the waitress could find out anything for them.  
She came back about ten minutes later with their drinks and having made her way around the diner. "Andrew said he saw someone who looked like her heading toward the old farm house on Nichols road."  
"Is that somewhere she used to go when she lived here? Kyle questioned.  
"Sure, it's her grandparents old farm. They're the only relatives she had left in this town. If I wanted to find her that's where I would start. Can I get you anything else." she asked as she asked as she watched two new customers come in.  
"No thanks, just the check." Jason wanted to get out of their as soon as possible and find Nikki. Beside the fact that the people in this diner gave him the creeps.

After they paid, they left the diner and went across the street to the local gas station to get a map of the town. "I can see why Nikki left this town as soon as she could." Jason remarked as they walked across the street and into the gas station.  
"I know, these people are down right creepy." Kyle grabbed the map they needed and paid the cashier. "Let's just find Nikki and get out of here." Kyle mumbled as they reached the car.  
"I agree!" Jason just wanted to get to where they were going and fast. He had this horrible feeling about this town and he wanted to get out of it as soon as possible. "It looks like Nichols Rd. is on the out skirts of town. Take a right here and go straight until you see Nevil Drive. That turns into Nichols.  
It took the brothers about twenty minutes to find the house. As they pulled into the driveway they couldn't help but wonder if anyone even lived here anymore. The house looked like it was falling apart. It was in serious need of repair.   
"Something doesn't seem right." Kyle remarked as they climbed the front steps and peeked into the windows.  
"I know, it looks like no one has lived here for years," Jason said as he tried the front door to see if it was unlocked. "Why would she come here?"  
"Kyle followed Jason into the house and cast a glance around the living room. "It doesn't look like she's been here." he said as he stepped lightly into the next room.   
As they walked further into the house they began to feel as though coming here was a mistake. There was no sign of Nikki. Jason turned toward Kyle to tell him they better leave when a group of demons entered the room and surrounded them.  
"I can't believe you were stupid enough to walk right into our trap, and unarmed too. This Nikki must be really important to you for you to be so careless. Just one hint that she might be here and you couldn't get here fast enough. Lucky for us we knew that you might be heading this way and we were waiting for you." the demon gestured toward his friends. "Your sweet dear Nikki is probably dead by now, so there's no need to look any further for her. If you only knew just how important she really was to your survival. You would never had let her slip away like you did."  
"Jason clenched his fists and started toward the demon, but Kyle grabbed his arm and held him back. "What do you mean she's dead!" Jason yelled. "I know she's still alive, I can feel it! Why are you after her anyway, it's us that hunt you not her."  
"You are so naive my young man. You really have no idea of just how important she really is to you, do you?" The demon laughed as he continued. "Well, I guess that doesn't matter does it because the next time you see her you'll all be dead."  
"That's what you think." Kyle grabbed the iron fireplace poker and stabbed one of the demons in the chest with it. When he fell to the floor he and Jason made a break for the back door. They tried to run for the car, but they saw that it was blocked.  
"What now!" Jason asked as he looked over his shoulder at the demons who were close behind.  
"This way." Kyle sprinted toward the woods behind the house with Jason close behind.  
They both knew that without any weapons they stood a very slim chance of getting out of this alive. They needed to find a place to hide so they could come up with a plan on how to get their car back.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

"Where do we start to look for them?" John asked Nikki as they arrived in her home town.  
"We'll start at my grandparents house. That's closer then my old house and more secluded. If they were going to ambush them it would be there." Nikki tightened her grip on the steering wheel and prayed that they would be on time. She knew that if something had happened the Jason and Kyle that it was her fault. She regretted leaving them now.  
As she drove through the center of town she couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be nobody around. This wasn't a good sign. The demons had known that the brothers were possibly on their way nd had plenty of time to set a trap for them. Worst of all she knew that because of her they would walk right into it. They were so intent on finding her that they weren't thinking clearly. They had no idea that they could be walking into a trap. She pushed the gas pedal closer to the floor. She had to find them and fast.  
As she drove by her grandparents house she didn't slow down. She saw all she needed to see. In the driveway was Kyle's Camaro and a stranger standing by it.  
"Looks as though we're too late," Nikki said to John as she pulled the car off to the side of the road and turned around.  
"What do you want to do?" John asked as Nikki pulled the car into the driveway behind the camaro.  
"First I have to take that guard out. He doesn't know who I am so it shouldn't be that hard." She grabbed the map off of the front seat and got out of the car. "Wait here, I'll be right back," she told John as she shut the door.

John couldn't believe that Nikki was just going to walk right up to the demon. He hoped that she knew what she was doing. He had seen what she was capable of and knew she could handle the job, but he kept his hand on the door handle just in case.

Nikki slowly walked up to the demon who was sitting on the hood of the camaro. She had to smile because all she could think of was what Kyle would say if he saw him on the hood of his precious car. She knew she still had a slight advantage. From what she had learned from the demon at John's house, no one expected the protector to be a girl. They had all assumed it would be a guy and she was hoping that this guard still thought that.  
"Can I help you?" the guard asked her as she got close enough to him so they could easily hear each other.  
"I sure hope so." Nikki stopped right in front of him and laid the map on the hood of the car. "I'm looking for my friends house, she said she lived on this road but I can't seem to find it. Could you help me locate it on this map?  
The demon looked at Nikki and smiled. "Sure," he replied as he looked at John in the car.  
"So is this your car?' Nikki took one of her fingers and traced it along side the car. "I like it, my ex- boyfriend had one just like it. Say, wanna take me for a ride?"  
"Sorry, not today. I'm waiting for some friends who are in the house taking care of a couple of trouble makers. Then I'm out of here. So, where did you say your friend lived?" he asked as he bent over to get a better look at the map.  
"Right here." Nikki slammed his head into the hood of the car twice dazing him. "You know, you should really be more careful about who you talk to, you never know who they may be."  
The guard tried to raise his hand to defend himself, but Nikki sent a burst of energy toward him that sent him flying across the yard and into a tree rendering him unconscious.  
John immediately jumped out of the car and ran to Nikki's side. "You're really learning how to harness your powers. That's good because if we intend on saving Jason and Kyle you’re going to have to know how to use them." John started to walk toward the demon. "We better hide this guy before someone sees him and figures out we're here."  
Nikki helped John drag the body behind a bush. "Now that he's taken care of we need to find out how many people we're up against." Nikki made her way to the front porch making sure to avoid the windows. She quietly climbed the stairs and peeked into one of the windows by the door. "Looks like no one is here, let's go in and check it out."  
"Wait for me!" John said half aloud so as to not alert anyone to their presence. "You may have special abilities, but your still only one person. The brothers are my friends to and I'm going to help in any way I can."  
Nikki was glad to hear that John didn't think of Jason and Kyle as pawns in this war against evil, but he actually did care about them. She carefully turned the handle and slowly opened the door. If there were any demons anywhere in the house she didn't to alert them that they were there. As they made their way into the house they realized it was empty. They could tell by the footprints on the dusty floor that there had been people here and that they had left through the back door. Nikki and John hurried out the back door. John trailed Nikki out the back door. As he stepped out the door and onto the pavement someone grabbed him from behind and put a knife to his neck.  
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" the demon asked as he pushed the knife harder against John's throat.  
Nikki spun around and glared at the demon. "Never mind who we are, where are the Samuels?" Nikki asked as she glanced around the yard for any sign of them.  
"Is that who you're here for, well you're too late." The demon mocked. "It won't be long before my friends catch up with them in the woods and kill them." The demon looked Nikki over from head to toe, "Let me guess, you're the protector."  
"That's right, and if you harm them in any way I swear I'll hunt you down and kill you in the most painful way imaginable." Nikki circled the demon to see if she could free John. She couldn't use her powers while he had him in his grip.   
"This is going to be more fun than I thought." the demon said with a smirk on is face that Nikki wanted to slap off of him. "Just think how funny this is, the Samuels came here to save you and it's you that has to save them. Do they even know who you really are?"  
Nikki could see that John was trying to reach for something in his pocket. She had to keep the demon focused on her so he could get it unnoticed.  
"You know," Nikki said with a smile on her face 'When I'm done killing you I'm going to hunt down all of your friends and kill them just like I killed the one who came for me before." Nikki could tell that she had struck a cord the demon by the way his facial expression changed. "Was that your friend? Oh, I'm sorry. But in my defense I did warn him to call the hunt off for the brothers. Just as I'm warning you. So, what do you say, you call off your buddies and I walk out of here with all my friends unharmed and you get to live to see another day."  
The demon laughed as he glared at Nikki. "You really think you can beat me? Let's not forget that this is your friend I have hold of. So it looks like I win!  
"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Nikki asked as she circled the demon. "But remember one thing, my job is to protect the brothers at all costs. Even if that means sacrificing one of my own to insure their survival."  
Nikki saw that the demon slightly loosened his grip on the John. She had an answer to everything he said and it seemed to confuse him. He had no idea what she could do. None of them did.   
The best part was that Nikki was enjoying this little go around. She could tell that he was unnerved by her, and that was going to be his downfall. All Nikki had to do was keep him off guard a little bit longer. John would do the rest.  
"So, you better hope that your stronger then your brother. He thought he could kill me too, but I showed him just who the more powerful one was. All I had to do was this." Nikki raised her hand as if she was going to attack causing the demon to step back and let John go.  
John immediately swirled around and stabbed the demon in the heart with a syringe filled with holy water. The demon screamed out in pain as the holy water pumped through his veins causing him immense pain. So much pain that he left the body and dove back into hell.  
"Nice job," Nikki commented as she looked towards the woods. "Know we just have to find Jason and Kyle before the other demons do."  
"Knowing them they would look for a place to hide." John told Nikki. "and the only other place around here besides the house would be the woods."  
"Then that's where we'll start." Nikki started toward the cars, "we'll need some weapons first. If for some reason we get separated we can meet up at my old house. My dad set up some demon traps so I don't think they would even dare go onto the property. Do you remember how to get there?" Nikki grabbed some guns from the trunk of the camaro and handed them to John.   
"I remember, it's not far from here. Let's just hope we all make it out alive."  
Nikki and John headed toward the woods. She knew the brothers well enough to know that they would try and find a place to hide until they could get back to the car. She just prayed that if the demons found them they would be able to fend them off until she got there.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

"I think this is it." Kyle exclaimed never once taking his eyes off the demons that had them surrounded. They had tried to out run them, but they were in unfamiliar territory. It wasn't long before the demons had caught up with them. Without weapons there was no way they could win this fight. Not while they were up against this many demons.  
"You might be right this time," Jason exclaimed as he kept his eyes glued to the circle of demons. Then out of the corner of his eye he noticed two figures emerge from the trees.  
"Not if I can help it!" Nikki announced as she came into sight.  
Jason was stunned when he realized who it was. They had been searching for her, and now she was the one who had found them. "Nikki, what are you doing here!" he questioned.  
"We're here to help," John declared as he shot one of them demons so Nikki and he could enter the circle.  
"You shouldn't have done that," Jason said as John handed him one of the weapons. "Now we're all trapped." Jason fixed his sight on Nikki. He was still taken wondering why she had waited until this moment to come back. It was the worst possible moment.  
Then Nikki approached him and without warning pulled him into a passionate kiss. "Excuse me," Kyle yelled "Certain death here, can that wait!"  
"What was that for?" Jason asked Nikki a little flustered.  
"Just in case I'm not strong enough and we die. I wanted you to know how I felt." Nikki said as she kissed him again and spun around and stepped away from him.  
"Strong enough for what?" Jason grabbed for Nikki but only grazed her arm with his fingertips. "You can't possibly think we can win this fight."   
"Trust me and do what I say." Nikki pleaded with Kyle and Jason. "Things have changed and I need you to work with me."  
"Do what she says." John demanded and he grabbed Jason's arm so he couldn't stop Nikki. "She's a lot stronger then you think now."  
Nikki took a step toward the demon that was in front of her and glared right into his cold black eyes. "I warned you all." Nikki slowly made her way around the circle. "You were told to stay away from them, weren't you? But you obviously didn't listen because here you are. I know that you all are very curious as to what I am actually capable of. Am I really as powerful as the prophecy predicted? Or was that all a lie? I'm going to give you two choices. First choice, you can believe the prophecy and walk away alive." Nikki took as step as close to the last demon as she could. "Or second, you can take a chance that it's not real and I can prove you wrong by killing each and every one of you."   
"Nikki get back!" Jason cried out as he tried to reach for her to pull her away from the demons.  
"Stay back," John instructed Jason. "Trust me she'll be fine. She's our only chance on getting out of this alive. Be ready to defend yourselves and make a break for the cars.  
Nikki stepped back away from the demons and rejoined the guys. "Everyone ready" she asked never once taking her eyes off the demons.  
"We're ready," Kyle said as he cocked his shot gun.  
"So, what's your decision?" Nikki asked the demon who seemed to be in charge. "Do you want to live, or die?"

Kyle glanced over at Jason who seemed to be just as confused about what was happening as he was. He could swear that some of the demons were actually afraid of Nikki. He was sure that Nikki seemed different somehow, more confident about herself. Why else would she take the chance of getting so close to the demons?  
"How do we know your even who you say you are?" The leader asked as he took a step closer to Nikki. "And why would we let you go even if you are. There is no way you can win, we have you out numbered."  
"How do you know I'm the protector?" Nikki asked with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. Nikki raised her hand and the demon went soaring into a tree. "That's how."  
"Now," John yelled as he shot the demon closest to him.  
At that very moment Jason charged at the demon to his right while Kyle went left. "There's no way you'll win." the demon growled to Jason as he moved just in time to avoid being stabbed.   
Jason had anticipated this move and swung around and stabbed the demon in the back of the neck killing him instantly.  
As Kyle got closer to the demon on his left he tried to shoot him. but his gun jammed leaving him defenseless. John turned toward Kyle and shot the demon himself.  
"We can't win," John yelled as he and Kyle retreated backwards as five demons closed in on them.  
"What do we do now?" Jason asked as he joined them with three demons coming at him.  
Nikki who had just killed another demon by using her energy to break his neck saw that the guys were out- numbered and fell back to join them.  
"Be ready to run for the cars! We already took care of the demon that was guarding it. Nikki raised her hand and a bright bolt of energy emerged from it blinding the remaining demons and sent them flying into the air and crashing to the ground. "Run!" Nikki yelled as the demons were struggling to get to their feet's.  
"Follow us to the safe house," John hollered as they reached the cars.

****

As they pulled into the driveway of the safe house Jason and Kyle jumped out of their car wanting to know what had just happened. "Not now!" John hollered as he opened the passenger door of his car.  
It was then that Jason noticed Nikki unconscious in the seat. He pushed John out of the way and lifted her into his arms. "What's wrong with her!" he shouted as he cradled her in his arms and started toward the house.  
"She'll be fine," John said. "It took a lot of energy to do what she did out there, and she isn't used to it yet. She needs to rest."  
Jason took Nikki to one of the bedrooms and gently laid her on the bed. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.  
"Now that we're safe, what happened out there? How did Nikki do that?" Kyle demanded. "I want to know what is going on and I want the truth!" Kyle glanced over at Nikki and then turned his attention back to John who was standing in the doorway.  
"Not now," Jason muttered as he took Nikki's hand into his own.  
"What do you mean not now, what better time is there? You did see what just happened out there didn't you. Don't you want to know how she did that, because I know I do!" Kyle snapped.  
"Of course I want to know, just not now! Not until Nikki wakes up and can tell me herself. I need to make sure she's okay first. Right now that's all that matters to me. Jason sat on the side of the bed with Nikki and touched her cheek. "Please just let it go for now."  
"Come on Kyle." John took Kyle by the elbow and led him out of the room. "I'll tell you everything downstairs. If Jason wants to wait for Nikki to tell him then let him. It's probely best that way. They have a lot more to discuss then we do. They have to figure things out between them. 

Kyle knew that this day would come, and he did have to admit that some of what Nikki had to tell Jason didn't involve him. He just hoped that they could work through it. He had never seen his brother as miserable as he had been when Nikki had left.

Jason couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Why had Nikki reappeared the way she had, and just when they needed her help the most? More importantly how did she do what she had done in the woods? But right now none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Nikki woke up. He thought as he touched her cheek again. He knew that he never wanted her to leave again and he was ready to tell her that.   
He got up and walked toward the window to make sure no one had followed them. He thought of how it had been pure hell not knowing where she was or even if she was safe. Not long ago he had made a promise to himself that if he ever found her he would tell her how he felt and never let her go again. That was one promise he meant to keep.  
"Jason, are you okay?" Nikki asked as she struggled to sit up. Jason wheeled around and rushed to Nikki's side.  
"Am I okay, are you okay? I was scared you wouldn't wake up," Jason said as he sat down beside her.   
"It was because I used a lot of energy to do what I did, and I'm not used to my abilities yet. My body needs time to adjust. Are Kyle and John safe, I did my best to get us all out of there safely?"  
"Yes, they're fine. They're downstairs. John is telling Kyle everything."  
Nikki stood up and turned away from Jason. "Do you know?" She asked him half aloud. She knew what he must be thinking and she was afraid that when she told him the truth he wouldn't believe her.  
"No, I wanted to wait till you woke up. I needed to hear it from you. We have a lot to talk about and some of it doesn't involve Kyle, but before you start I want to tell you something. When you appeared in those woods and kissed me I could feel the passion in it. I'm hoping it means what I think it does. Do you love me, or am I wrong?"  
Nikki turned around and looked as Jason. "No you weren't wrong. I do love you. I guess I always have but didn't realize it until that night in the bar when we kissed. It stirred up feelings that I had been afraid to admit that I had. I couldn't tell you before because I didn't think you felt the same and I didn't know what I would have done if you had rejected me. So I kept quite."  
Jason took Nikki into his arms and hugged her tight. "Well, you were wrong, I do love you." he whispered in her ear. "Like you I was afraid of admitting it, I didn't want to drive you away. I'm not afraid to admit it anymore though. I love you Nikki Philips!" he said as he gently kissed her. "And I never want you to leave again. We can make this work. I promise."  
"I'm not sure you'll feel the same after I tell you how I deceived you." Nikki broke away from Jason and looked away from him.  
Jason pulled Nikki back into his arms. "I dought it. It's been pure hell without you. Not knowing where you were or even if you were safe. I never want to feel like that again!"  
"You better sit down for this," Nikki motioned toward the bed , "and please let me finish before you say anything. I want to make sure you know the whole story. First of all you need to know that in the beginning I was just as innocent as you in all of this. It was John who wanted me to find and meet you. So it was no accident that we were all in the same town at once. I had been tracking you. Everything after that happened by pure chance. John knew that once we met we would be drawn together. What he didn't count on was us falling in love. When I first saw you at the diner I knew who you were and felt an instant connection with you. It was then that I knew there had to be a bigger reason why John wanted me to find you. He would never tell me the whole story, just that he thought I should meet you. I could never explain why I felt so drawn to you. Then when we got that email with the link to the prophecy it all started to make sense to me. Well some of it did anyway. You see, the prophecy stated that all three would share the same hexagon birthmark." Nikki slowly pulled her shirt off her shoulder to reveal the mark.

It was then that Jason touched his own shoulder. It was all starting to make sense to him now. He and Kyle had the same birthmarks. It had been a joke when they were younger. People had thought it was funny that they had the same birthmarks.  
"I never realized that you also have the same birthmark. I guess I never paid attention.” Nikki started to pace the room. "I had to find out the truth and the only way to do that was to talk to John face to face and make him tell me. I knew that you wouldn't understand, so I left without telling you. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I did it to protect you. I finally got John to tell me the truth. He had known about the prophecy all along. It was him that sent you the email after he found out I was attacked. He knew that once I read it I would figure it out and that I would be able to get you guys to understand who you were. But I didn't understand it and he had to explain parts of it to me. I was going to come back and tell you the whole truth, but you showed up at the cabin first. John made me promise to hide while he tried to figure out whether you were ready to hear it yet. I shouldn't have listened, but I did."  
Nikki hoped that this wasn't too much for Jason to handle all at once, but she wanted to get it out all at once. She wanted to make sure that he knew everything before he made his decision on whether he really wanted to be with her. "I started to feel guilty about hiding from you after all you had done for me, so I decided to tell you the truth. It just happened that John and Kyle had decided to go out that night and you stayed behind When I walked up the stairs I lost my nerve and hid from you. It was by accident that I ducked into your room. I waited until you fell asleep and then tried to sneak out of the room, but I missed you so much I couldn't help but touch your cheek. The moment I did you woke up.  
Nikki continued to pace the floor just so she wouldn't have to look Jason in the eyes. "The next morning, when I got up the nerve to finally tell you the truth for good this time you had already left. When I started to go after you John and I were attacked by another demon. Something happened during that fight. I'm not sure what it was, but one moment I was defenseless and the next it was like I had known all along about my abilities and how to control them. I knew how to use them and was able to kill the demon. After I defeated him I was in such a hurry to find you guys that I ran out of the house without my cell phone. Without it I couldn't remember either of your new numbers. So we got here as fast as we could and luckily it was just in time.  
Jason slowly got up from the bed and stepped in front of Nikki so she would have to look at him. "I don't understand something, why did your powers not surface the whole time we were together. Especially when you were being attacked the first time."  
"But they did!" Nikki said "I just didn't realize it at the time. When that demon shot at us the love a I felt for you enabled me to somehow create a shield which deflected the bullet away from us. We just assumed that the gun backfired."  
"Is that the whole story?"  
"Yes, and I'll understand if you feel as though you can't trust me anymore. I feel horrible." Nikki turned away from Jason. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say next. If it was bad she didn't want him to see her cry.   
"Like I said before, I love you and nothing will ever change that." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her in a way that told her she was forgiven.  
"Are you two done in here?" Kyle asked as he opened the door while Jason and Nikki were kissing. "John left and I'm getting lonely by myself downstairs. Wait a minute," he said laughing "Is this what I'm going to have to look forward to from now on?"  
Nikki turned around and smiled. "Do you know everything?" she asked.  
"You mean do I know that I'm part of a team that will bring an end to all the evil in this world? Then yes I do. I have a feeling that things are about to get very interesting from now on."  
"Don't forget the part about having a girl be your protector. How are you with that?" Jason asked laughing.  
"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if my pride can handle that. But if it means that Nikki stay with us I'm sure I can learn to live with it."  
"So does this mean we're alright?" Nikki asked Kyle cautiously.  
"Yes, we're fine. Just as long as I don't have to watch you two kissing all the time. By the way it's about time you two got together. I knew from the first time we met that you guys belonged together." Kyle bragged as they walked down the stairs.  
"Whatever." Jason gently punched his brother in the arm. He did have to admit that he was glad that Kyle was fine with Nikki and himself being a couple. Not that it mattered, but he was just happy to know that they wouldn't have to sneak around.  
"So, where do we go from here?" Jason asked as they walked out the front door.  
"Why don't we let Nikki decide," Kyle said as he opened the drivers side door.  
"I guess we'll just see where the open road or should I say case takes us." Nikki climbed into the car knowing one thing, that as long as they were together they would be safe. Or that's what she hoped anyway. The future was always unpredictable and you never knew what you would find around the next corner. Or for them in the next town.


End file.
